Type 439 (XM8) stainless-steel was first used for moisture-separator-reheater tubes at the Kewaunee Power plant. The first tubes were placed in service in August, 1979. These tube bundles, along with eight additional tube bundles at three other utilities, which have been in service for approximately one year, have operated without any problems. Special control of the alloy chemistry and heat treatment was needed to meet design objectives.

Laboratory-evaluation programs used to qualify the 439 stainless-steel tubes are presented. Included are autoclave crevice testing in contaminated solutions; autoclave "C"-ring testing in "all volatile chemistry (AVT)" and contaminated-chemistry solutions; and heated "in air" and "corrosion fatigue" testing. Unsatisfactory results observed in early "off-the-shelf" tubing are discussed. Later improvements, in test results using tubing with specially controlled chemistry and heat treatments, are also examined.

Subject
Test methods, Tubes, Autoclaves, Stress cracking, Liquids, Crevices, Tubing, Carbon steel, Stainless steel, Cracking, Fatigue, Steam, Chlorides
© 1983 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
1983
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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