Electric resistance welded (ERW) tubes are less expensive and usually more available than their seamless counterparts. However, these advantages can be overshadowed by preferential and accelerated weld attack during service. A laboratory technique was developed to assess the potential for preferential attack along the longitudinal seam of ERW carbon steel tubing exposed to refinery and chemical plant process streams. Samples of both ASTM A214 and A178 tubes were evaluated in accelerated corrosion tests designed to simulate acid conditions which might be encountered in various services. Test results revealed a wide variation in the quality of the ERW tubing produced by both domestic and foreign mills. Used in conjunction with an evaluation of mill fabrication practices, the test procedure can identify high-quality ERW products that can be used in many applications in place of seamless components at a significant cost savings.

Subject
Acids, Weld attack, Accelerated corrosion tests, Test methods, Materials, Materials performance, Tubes, Acid attack, Welding, Hydrogen attack, Inspection, Tubing, Weld seams
Keywords:
electric resistance welded (ERW), preferential attack, accelerated corrosion tests, welded tubes
© 1992 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).
1992
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
You do not currently have access to this content.