Butyl rubber final cooler heat exchanger tube cracking failure analysis

Abstract

Butyl rubber products are widely used, have good development prospects, and the demand is increasing year by year. However, the catalysts used in its production process decompose highly corrosive media, causing corrosion and cracking of its equipment. The final cooler, an important piece of equipment for this production unit, suffered a heat exchanger tube burst, causing the unit to stop. The failed heat exchanger tube was subjected to a series of experimental studies including hardness testing, metallographic analysis, fracture and spectral analysis, and analysis of the corrosive media and scouring conditions in its working environment. The results show that there are more inclusions and a certain degree of sensitization in the heat exchanger tube organization, resulting in the weakening of its grain boundaries, corrosion resistance is reduced. Combined with the corrosive environment and the combined effect of media scouring, the grain detachment, microcracking, with the increase in service time, the local strength of the heat exchanger tube can not meet the requirements, resulting in bursting.