Digital Commons Network^™

Study Of Graphitization In Carbon Steel Weldments For Remaining Life Assessment, Maneel Bharadwaj

Doctoral Dissertations

Carbon steels and low-alloy steels are often used in various stages of the refining process in petrochemical industries and power plants where they are susceptible to graphitization after prolonged exposure at temperatures of 800°F (427°C) or above. Graphitization is a result of solid-state phase transformation of metastable iron carbide to form iron and graphite structure. The formation of graphite results in the loss of tensile strength, ductility, and creep strength, which may result in untimely catastrophic failure of the component. The current study focused on developing a further understanding of graphitization on ex-service welded carbon steel components, which were removed …