Petrochemical
Petrochemical units run hot enough that creep strength and sensitisation matter as much as wet corrosion. Stabilised grades are specified for welded assemblies that will sit in the 425 to 815 degrees C range, and high-chromium grades handle oxidation in furnace and heater service. Downstream, chloride carryover into condensing sections shifts the requirement back towards molybdenum-bearing grades.
What gets specified in petrochemical
Ordered by how commonly they are called for in this sector.
- UNS S32100 / S32109321 / 321HPREN 19
304 stabilised with titanium. Resists sensitisation in the 425–815 degrees C range.
- UNS S34700 / S34709347 / 347HPREN 19
Stabilised with niobium rather than titanium. Preferred where weld filler purity matters.
- UNS S31600 / S31603316 / 316LPREN 25
304 plus 2–3% molybdenum. The standard answer to chlorides and mild acids.
- UNS S31000 / S31008310 / 310SPREN 25
25% chromium, 20% nickel. A heat-resisting grade, not a corrosion-resisting one.
- UNS S31803 / S32205 / S32550 / S32750 / S32760Duplex / Super DuplexPREN 41
Roughly equal austenite and ferrite. Around twice the yield strength of 316L.
- UNS N08904904LPREN 35
High nickel, high molybdenum, with copper. Built for sulphuric acid service.
Applications
05- Furnace and heater tubes
- Transfer line and reactor piping
- Expansion joints and bellows
- Column and tower internals
- Condenser and cooler bundles
Governing standards
04- ASTM A312
- ASTM A213
- API 530
- ASME B31.3
Verification available
10- Spectrometer
- Chemical Testing Laboratory
- Positive Material Identification (PMI)
- Spectro Test
- Tensile Testing Machine
- Hardness Testing Machine
- Portable Hardness Tester
- Flattening Test
- Reverse-Bend Test
- Hydrostatic Test Machine
What petrochemical buys
Other industries
Supplying into petrochemical?
Send the specification and service conditions. We will confirm the grade, the availability and the documentation you will need.