【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】The domestic development and application of urea-grade austenitic stainless steel materials from 2687 to 2025 have passed technical appraisal

Thread Content

Let’s give praise and support to the achievements made in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment; your participation in discussions is the greatest encouragement. **********************【Ten Years of Progress in Chemical Engineering Equipment】Regular updates and summaries are available; feel free to join the discussions: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html ***************** On the morning of September 18th, Dalian Songhai Petrochemical Maintenance Engineering Co., Ltd., Fushun Special Steel Co., Ltd., and Zhongxing Energy Equipment Co., Ltd. held a press conference in Dalian regarding the SH010 (25-22-2) and SH020 (316L mod) urea-grade austenitic stainless steel materials. Yu Lei, the general manager of Dalian Songhai Company, presented the latest advancements in the domestic production of such materials. Yu Lei said that the project \"Development and Application of Domestic Urrea-grade Austenitic Stainless Steel Materials SH010(25-22-2) and SH020(316Lmod)\", jointly developed by Dalian Songhai and other parties, has recently passed the expert technical evaluation organized by the China Special Equipment Safety and Energy Conservation Promotion Association in Kuqa City, Xinjiang. The experts on the appraisal committee unanimously agreed that the technical specifications of the two grades of urea-grade austenitic stainless steel materials meet the relevant material standards in the United States and Europe, as well as the requirements set by internationally renowned urea engineering companies; all key technical parameters have reached an internationally advanced level. Experts from the appraisal committee conducted on-site inspections of the actual performance of SH010(25-22-2) heat exchange tubes in the CO2 stripping tower of Aksu Huajin Fertilizer Co., Ltd. over a period of three years. They also examined the results of corrosion comparison tests using SH010(25-22-2), SH020(316L mod), and similar materials from abroad ； The representative of the applying entity presented a report on material development and applications, user entities shared their feedback on usage, and third-party test results were provided; questions were raised and discussions were held on related matters. The appraisal experts noted that the technical specifications of the urea-grade austenitic stainless steel materials SH010(25-22-2) and SH020(316L mod) meet the requirements of relevant material standards in the United States and the European Union. Analysis of samples taken from steel plates, steel pipes, and heat exchange tubes showed that the levels of harmful impurity elements in their chemical composition are low, and the presence of non-metallic inclusions is well controlled ； The microstructure is entirely austenitic; no σ phase or intergranular or intragranular compounds were detected ； After 5 cycles of the Huie test and selective corrosion tests, the test results were comparable to those of similar materials abroad. In urea plants under the same operating conditions, the SH010(25-22-2) and SH020(316L mod) materials were compared with similar foreign products in terms of engineering applications, and the results showed that their corrosion resistance is on par with or slightly better than that of similar foreign products. Through the verification of technical specifications and evaluation of engineering applications for products such as urea-grade austenitic stainless steel sheets, heat exchange tubes, forgings, bars, fittings, and pipes of SH010(25-22-2) and SH020(316L mod), the results showed that the key technical parameters of both material grades have reached international advanced levels, enabling their successful domestic development and application. The appraisal committee unanimously agreed to approve the technical appraisal. The appraisal committee recommends that relevant group standards be developed as soon as possible, in order to accelerate the adoption and application of urea-grade austenitic stainless steels SH010(25-22-2) and SH020(316L mod) in related fields. It is reported that urea is an important chemical product crucial for the country’s economy and people’s livelihoods. However, the corrosion-resistant stainless steel materials required for the key equipment used in its production have long relied on imports, resulting in a bottleneck situation that has persisted for over forty years. As a result, foreign material prices remain high and procurement cycles are lengthy, which severely hinders the independent and sustainable development of China’s fertilizer industry and grain production. Yu Lei explained that in order to break international monopolies and achieve domestic substitution, the project’s R&D team spent several years developing the SH010 and SH020 series of domestic new materials. Extensive engineering tests have shown that their corrosion resistance is on par with that of similar imported materials. A complete range of products has been developed, including sheets, heat exchange tubes, steel pipes, forgings, rods, and pipe fittings, and the successful domestic development and application of these materials have been achieved. Over a period of 5 years, the SH010 and SH020 materials have undergone rigorous testing across four stages: experimentation, trial use, pilot-scale engineering application, and full-scale engineering implementation. To date, they have been successfully deployed on a large scale in more than 40 units of urea and melamine production facilities across 19 companies in China, including those located in Xinjiang, Chongqing, Shanxi, Liaoning, and other regions. These facilities have an annual production capacity of 300,000 to 800,000 tons, and the high-pressure components made from these materials include heat exchange tubes, distribution pipes, linings, tray elements, and pipelines. As of May 2025, approximately 200 tons of various domestically produced SH010/SH020 materials have been supplied to end customers over time. Most of the end-users are large state-owned enterprises and central state-owned enterprises, which highly appreciate the achievements made by Dalian Songhai in the localization of urea-grade austenitic stainless steel materials. They believe that the successful use of SH010 and SH020 materials not only ensures quality on par with that of imported foreign materials, with an annual corrosion rate that is equal to or lower than that of similar foreign products, but also significantly reduces delivery times and procurement costs. This contributes to enhancing the safety and efficiency of urea production facilities, as well as to supporting food security.