What is the material of the heat exchange tubes 13CrMo4-5 used in domestic pyrolysis gas quenching heat exchangers? ?
Thread Content
On December 24, the first fully domestically produced quench heat exchanger for cracked gas, independently designed by Global Beijing Company, was successfully delivered to the site of the 1.2 million tons/year ethylene project under Phase II of Tarim at PetroChina Dushanzi Petrochemical. This marks a significant breakthrough for China in overcoming the long-standing technological barrier of relying on imported internal heat exchange tubes, representing a solid step forward in the field of high-end chemical equipment. The pyrolysis gas quench heat exchanger is a crucial core heat exchange device in the pyrolysis production process of the petrochemical industry, directly affecting the stability and economic efficiency of the pyrolysis unit. This device operates under extremely high temperature and pressure conditions, involving complex thermodynamic and mechanical issues; it requires sophisticated stress analysis and temperature simulation calculations, with the results then subjected to thermo-mechanical coupling analysis. Lingou Beijing Company, leveraging its technical expertise and experience, successfully acquired the patent technology for the design of this equipment and applied it in various ethylene projects. At the same time, the heat exchange tubes in this equipment are made of 13CrMo4-5 material, which requires high standards in terms of manufacturing processes and operates under severe conditions; it demands excellent mechanical properties against high-temperature creep. In the past, reliance on imports was necessary, but this led to high costs, long supply lead times, and various technical barriers. To overcome this challenge, Huanyu Beijing Company, in collaboration with Dushanzi Petrochemical, Jiangguo Shares, Baosteel Shares, and Jiangsu Yinhuan Precision Steel Pipe Co., Ltd., established a specialized technical team to work on this issue. As a result, it was possible to use domestically produced heat exchange tubes in these equipment, completing the final piece of the puzzle regarding the use of domestic materials for the static equipment in ethylene production facilities.
Breaking through technical barriers: further progress in the localization of chemical processing equipment
What kind of material is 13CrMo4-5? The “4-5” denotes the contents of Cr and Mo respectively; that is, the average content of Cr and Mo, multiplied by a factor, results in 4-5. Specifically, the Cr content is 0.70%-1.15%, and the Mo content is 0.40%-0.60%. 13CrMo4-5 is a type of steel designated for use in boilers and pressure vessels under European standards; it complies with the standard EN 10216-2-2013. Due to its high strength, high toughness, corrosion resistance, and good weldability, 13CrMo4-5 seamless steel tubes have wide application prospects in various industrial fields: 1. In oil and chemical transportation systems, pipelines must withstand the corrosion caused by various substances as well as high temperatures and pressures, and 13CrMo4-5 steel tubes are an ideal material for manufacturing such pipelines. 2. In the power industry, boilers are one of the key devices for power generation; the temperatures and pressures inside them are very high. 13CrMo4-5 steel tubes are widely used in boiler manufacturing due to their excellent heat resistance and corrosion resistance. In addition, 13CrMo4-5 seamless steel pipes can also be used to manufacture offshore engineering structures, special components in the construction industry, and high-temperature and high-pressure equipment in machinery manufacturing. The delivery condition of 13CrMo4-5 seamless steel tubes is usually normalizing + tempering or quenching and tempering
13CrMo4-5 is a high-performance alloy steel with high strength, high toughness, corrosion resistance, and excellent weldability. It is widely used in industries such as petroleum, chemicals, power generation, and shipbuilding, and serves as an important material for manufacturing equipment under high temperature and pressure conditions; it complies with the EN10028 standard. I. Materials and Standards Material definition: 13CrMo4-5 is a steel specified for use in boilers and pressure vessels under European standards, and it belongs to the CrMo class of vessel steels. It is mainly used in fields such as petroleum, chemicals, and pipelines, and features stable performance. Execution standard: This material complies with the EN10028 standard, specifically EN10028-2:2017 (or EN10028-2:2003; the specific version may change over time), which is a European standard. Corresponding material: In the national standard GB/T 713, 13CrMo4-5 corresponds to the 15CrMoR material ； In the American ASME standards, it corresponds to the SA387Gr12Cl2 material. II. Chemical Composition The main chemical components of 13CrMo4-5 include carbon (C), silicon (Si), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), molybdenum (Mo), etc. The specific composition ranges are as follows: C: 0.08~0.18%, Si: ≤0.35%, Mn: 0.40~1.00%, Cr: 0.70~1.15%, Ni: (no specific content requirement), Mo: 0.40~0.60%. Other elements such as Nb, V, P, S, etc. also have strict content limits. III. Performance Characteristics: High strength and high toughness: 13CrMo4-5 alloy steel possesses high strength and high toughness, enabling it to maintain stable performance in high-temperature and high-pressure environments. Corrosion resistance: It possesses certain resistance to hydrogen corrosion, oxidation, and high-temperature sulfide corrosion, making it suitable for use in harsh environments. Heat shock resistance: It maintains its shape and dimensions at high temperatures, exhibiting excellent heat shock resistance. Weldability: 13CrMo4-5 steel plates have good weldability, but preheating before welding and post-weld heat treatment are required to reduce welding stress and prevent crack formation. Workability: Its high density and large porosity make it easy to shape, making it suitable for various complex manufacturing processes. IV. Application Areas Due to the excellent properties of 13CrMo4-5 alloy steel, it is widely used in various fields: Petroleum and chemical industry: It is used to manufacture reactors, heat exchangers, towers, and other equipment that operate under high temperature and pressure conditions. Electricity: In the power industry, it is used to manufacture key equipment such as boilers, steam turbines, and generators. Ships: Used for manufacturing ship hull structures, offshore engineering structures, etc. Others: It is also used in fields such as bridges, construction, and machinery, as well as in the manufacture of mechanical components like compressors, motors, and industrial furnaces. V. Heat Treatment and Condition at Delivery 13CrMo4-5 steel plates are typically subjected to a heat treatment process of normalizing followed by tempering (or quenching and tempering) in order to improve their mechanical properties and creep resistance. The delivery condition can be normalized + tempered or quenched and tempered, depending on the thickness of the steel plate and the customer’s requirements. VI. Conclusion In summary, 13CrMo4-5 is an alloy steel with high strength, high toughness, corrosion resistance, and excellent weldability. It has a wide range of applications in various fields such as petroleum, chemicals, power generation, and shipbuilding, and is one of the important materials used in manufacturing high-temperature and high-pressure equipment.