Materials used in flue gas desulfurization systems are expected to be resistant to highly aggressive exposures. This does not always happen. Premature material degradation frequently results in unplanned outages, lost production, unsafe conditions and in some severe cases, the necessity to replace large portions of facilities well before their designed obsolescence. Understanding the exposure environments and operating conditions in conjunction with a materials capability is key to proper
materials selection. Understanding the “fine tuning” needs of an alloy may be even more imperative to long term successful application. The need for special alloys to resist the aggressive corrosivity of FGD environments invariably dictates higher alloyed and probably more expensive materials. In order to be cost effective, these materials must perform at a high efficiency level and provide a long service life. The typical broad, generic specifications used to define material composition and mechanical property acceptance levels, may not be sufficient. This presentation will examine the optimization potential of one material, UNS N08367, a 6% molybdenum containing stainless steel. The alloy has been proven in many environment, but use of optimization techniques may augment its performance. Included will be a review of the positive and negative effects of certain major and minor alloying additions, the response to varied thermal treatments, control of surface depletion and stress levels, and fabrication, with optimization in mind. The items reviewed, will have applicability to other material systems, with some modifications to suit the specific alloy and environments.
Keywords: stainless steels, crevice corrosion, pitting, FGD systems, alloying, annealing, pickling, testing