Acid gas sweetening plants use various amine solvents (namely primary, secondary and tertiary) to selectively remove impurities such as Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) and or Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from natural gas.

Amine stress corrosion cracking(ASCC), in addition to wet H2S damage mechanisms, is a known cracking degradation in the gas sweetening plants. Often, its detectability is questionable even with advance non-destructive examination (NDE) techniques like wet fluorescent magnetic particle testing (WFMPT) and Phased array. The paper describes cracking phenomenon in lean Diethanolamine (DEA) exchangers made of carbon steel with post weld heat treatment and challenges to detection.

Subject
Nondestructive testing, Test methods, Materials, Intergranular stress corrosion cracking, Arrays, Nozzles, Corrosion detection, Internal surfaces, Amines, Equipment, Carbon steel, Cracks, Stress corrosion cracking
Keywords:
Gas sweetening, amine solvent DEA, carbon steel, amine stress corrosion cracking (ASCC), NDE, WFMPT, Phased array, crack detectability
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2015
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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