MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION FOR PROCESS EQUIPMENT AND PIPING SYSTEMS

Objective:

• Understand the principles of selecting appropriate materials for pressure equipment applications
• Recognize how material selection influences safe, reliable, and cost-effective plant operations
• Understand key requirements of relevant design codes, standards, and industry practices including ASME B&PVC, ASME B31.3, ASTM specifications, API 571, API 580, API 581, API 578, and API 579
• Identify common in-service material degradation mechanisms and apply appropriate condition assessment techniques
• Evaluate equipment flaws and determine suitable run, repair, or replacement decisions
• Apply Fitness-for-Service assessment principles to reduce unnecessary repairs, maintenance costs, and downtime

Content:

Engineering Materials: Types and Properties

• Classification of engineering materials
• Ferrous and non-ferrous metals
• Carbon steels and alloy steels
• Specialty alloys and their applications

Advanced Engineering Materials

• Refractory materials: types, applications, titanium, and zirconium
• Clad materials: types, manufacturing methods, and applications
• Composite materials: classifications, types, and uses
• Non-metallic materials including plastics and ceramics
• Surface engineered coatings and overlays: specifications and applications

Fundamentals of Metallurgy

• Structure of metals and alloys
• Material imperfections and their effects
• Chemical composition and Unified Numbering System (UNS)
• Physical properties of engineering materials
• Mechanical properties of base metals, filler metals, and welds
• Tensile strength, yield strength, ductility, hardness, and toughness
• Heat treatment processes and their impact on material properties

Material Forming and Fabrication

• Forming and forging processes
• Casting methods and applications
• Welding technologies and industrial consumables
• Weldability considerations including Carbon Equivalent, Schaeffler, and WRC diagrams
• Preheat and Post-Weld Heat Treatment (PWHT) requirements
• Common welding imperfections and discontinuities

ASME Welding and Brazing Qualifications

• Overview of ASME B&PVC Section IX requirements
• Welding Procedure Specification (WPS)
• Procedure Qualification Record (PQR)
• Welder Performance Qualification (WPQ)

Materials Selection and Application

• Material selection processes and guidelines
• Life cycle cost considerations
• Material selection factors in petroleum refineries and process plants
• Oxidation resistance and scale formation
• Temperature limitations of carbon steels and alloy materials
• Creep properties and Larson-Miller Parameter (LMP)
• Fatigue properties and S-N curve applications

Materials Standards and Industry Codes

• ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel and Piping Construction Codes
• ASTM material specifications for piping, plates, forgings, and castings
• API RP 941 requirements for steels used in hydrogen service
• NACE MR0175/ISO 15156 requirements for H₂S-containing environments
• NACE MR0103 requirements for sulfide stress cracking resistance
• PIP standards and material specifications
• Overview of ASME B&PVC Section II material specifications

Material Selection for Specific Equipment Applications

• Material selection for refineries and petrochemical plants
• Power plant equipment materials
• Pressure vessel materials
• Piping, valves, and fittings materials
• Pump materials selection

Material Degradation and Failure Mechanisms

• Understanding material ageing and degradation
• Indicators and symptoms of equipment ageing
• Degradation mechanisms including corrosion and erosion
• Excessive elastic deformation and buckling
• Fracture mechanisms including fatigue and brittle fracture
• Overview of API RP 571 damage mechanisms affecting fixed equipment

Metallurgical Failure Analysis and Positive Material Identification

• Principles of metallurgical failure analysis
• Failure analysis case studies
• Objectives and methods of Positive Material Identification (PMI)
• X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES)
• ASTM E1916, PFI-ES42, API 578, MSS SP-137 requirements
• Material Test Reports and verification procedures

Inspection Strategies and Non-Destructive Examination

• Mechanical integrity principles and key elements
• Technical integrity threats in hazardous environments
• Regulatory requirements including SH&E, OSHA, and SEVESO II
• Life cycle management implications
• Inspection planning and strategy development
• API RP 580 and API RP 581 Risk-Based Inspection (RBI)
• API RP 577 Welding Inspection and Metallurgy

Non-Destructive Examination (NDE) Methods

• Overview of NDE methods and applications
• Matching inspection methods with material discontinuities
• Advancements in NDE technologies
• Overview of ASME B&PVC Section V requirements

Fitness-for-Service Evaluation

• Introduction to fracture mechanics
• Fundamentals of Fitness-for-Service assessment
• Overview of API Standard 579-1/ASME FFS-1
• Application of FFS assessment methodologies
• Worked examples and practical applications

For Whom:

• Mechanical and Process Engineers in refinery, petrochemical, and process industries
• Technical Professionals involved in plant integrity and reliability
• Inspection Engineers and Maintenance Personnel
• Project Engineers and Consulting Engineers
• Engineering and technical personnel responsible for mechanical integrity management