Zirconium 702 (UNS R60702) has found a valuable niche in processing producing acrylic monomers due to its corrosion resistance in process streams containing sulfuric acid at elevated temperatures. The continual push to use higher temperatures, velocities and pressures for process efficiency has reinforced Zirconium's role in the process and expanded its use. Experience with zirconium over the last 40 years has found that proper corrosion testing, design details, fabrication and operation must all be done properly or results can be less than adequate. For example, corrosion testing must cover actual conditions and include potential upset conditions. In heat exchanger corrosion, steam temperature versus bulk fluid temperature was found to be the most important variable in assessing corrosion resistance in sulfuric acid/water/organic processes. Most of our hot sulfuric/organic environments, although well below the published weld corrosion limit line, induces severe heat affected zone corrosion in this alloy when un-heat treated. Design to prevent acid concentration in pumps, and reboilers is also critical, and must be considered in the early stage of a process design. To aid in proper fabrication, We have developed fabrication and heat treatment standards to capture learnings. Operations must also follow through with preventing reboiler plugging (which can concentrate acid) and keeping the process conditions away from "break away" corrosion of zirconium.
Keywords: heat treatment. zirconium 702, sulfuric acid, weld corrosion, acrylic esters, heat exchangers, fabrication