ALUMINA FORMING BIMETALLIC TUBE AND METHOD OF MAKING AND USING

• US 20120097289A1
• Filed: 10/12/2011
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Inventors: Jones, Jeffrey P., Spicer, David B., Chun, ChangMin, Deutsch, D. Samuel, Feather, James E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,906,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 138/177
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 5/106 Tube or ring forms
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 7/06 of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools B22F7/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/011 all layers being formed of iron alloys or steels
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/013 one layer being formed of an iron alloy or steel, another layer being formed of a metal other than iron or aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/015 the said other metal being copper or nickel or an alloy thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 1/0433 Nickel- or cobalt-based alloys
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 19/05 with chromium
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 19/058 without Mo and W
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 30/00 Alloys containing less than 50% by weight of each constituent
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/02 containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/04 containing manganese
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/06 containing aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/40 with nickel
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 38/48 with niobium or tantalum
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 9/02 of metal F16L9/16 - F16L9/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0059 for petrochemical plants
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 19/06 of metal
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/083 from stainless steel

Abstract

Provided is a bimetallic tube for transport of hydrocarbon feedstocks in a petrochemical process unit and/or refinery process unit, including: i) an outer tube layer being formed from a steam cracker alloy including at least 18.0 wt. % Cr and at least 10.0 wt. % Ni; ii) an inner tube layer being formed from an alumina forming bulk alloy including 5.0 to 10.0 wt. % of Al, 18.0 wt. % to 25.0 wt. % Cr, less than 0.5 wt. % Si, and at least 35.0 wt. % Fe with the balance being Ni, wherein the inner tube layer is formed plasma powder welding the alumina forming bulk alloy on the inner surface of the outer tube layer; and iii) an oxide layer formed on the surface of the inner tube layer, wherein the oxide layer is substantially comprised of alumina, chromia, silica, mullite, spinels, or mixtures thereof.

Claims

1. A bimetallic tube for fired heater tubes and/or transfer line exchangers for the transport of hydrocarbon feedstocks in petrochemical process and/or refinery process units, comprising:

i) an outer tube layer being formed from a steam cracker alloy comprising at least 18.0 wt. % Cr and at least 10.0 wt. % Ni;

ii) an inner tube layer being formed from an alumina forming bulk alloy comprising 5.0 to 10.0 wt. % of Al, 18.0 wt. % to 25.0 wt. % Cr, less than 0.5 wt. % Si, and at least 35.0 wt. % Fe with the balance being Ni, wherein the inner tube layer is formed by plasma powder welding the alumina forming bulk alloy on the inner surface of the outer tube layer; and

iii) an oxide layer formed on the surface of the inner tube layer, wherein the oxide layer comprises alumina, chromia, silica, mullite, spinets, or combinations thereof.

2. The bimetallic tube of claim 1, wherein the outer tube layer comprises at least 20.0 wt. % Cr and at least 30.0 wt. % Ni.

3. The bimetallic tube of claim 1, wherein the outer tube layer is a steam cracker alloy chosen from HP45Nb, HP16Nb, HN10NiNb, HP 40 Mod, Pompey HP 40W, Pompey Manaurite XM, Manaurite XTM, and Kubota KHR 45A.

4. The bimetallic tube of claim 3, wherein the outer tube layer is a steam cracker alloy of HP45Nb or HP16Nb.

5. The bimetallic tube of claim 1, wherein the inner tube layer comprises 5.0 wt. % to 8.0 wt. % of Al, 19.0 wt. % to 24.0 wt. % Cr, less than 0.5 wt. % Si, and at least 35.0 wt. % Fe with the balance being Ni.

6. The bimetallic tube of claim 1, wherein the inner tube layer further comprises less than 0.01 wt. % carbon.

7. The bimetallic tube of claim 1, wherein the inner tube layer further comprises 0.1 wt. % to 2.0 wt. % of at least one element chosen from Ga, Ge, As, In, Sn, Sb, Pb, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, Au and combinations thereof.

8. The bimetallic tube of claim 1, wherein the inner tube layer further comprises 0.1 wt. % to 2.0 wt. % of at least one element chosen from Re, Ru, Rh, Ir, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, Au and combinations thereof.

9. The bimetallic tube of claim 1, wherein the inner tube layer further comprises 0.01 wt. % to 2.0 wt. % of at least one element chosen from Sc, La, Y, Ce and combinations thereof.

10. The bimetallic tube of claim 1, wherein the inner tube layer further comprises 0.01 wt. % to 2.0 wt. % of oxide particles of at least one element chosen from Al, Si, Sc, La, Y, Ce and combinations thereof.

11. The bimetallic tube of claim 1, wherein the inner tube layer further comprises 0.01 wt. % to 4.0 wt. % of at least one element Chosen from Mn, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Mo, W, and combinations thereof.

12. The bimetallic tube of claim 1, wherein the inner tube layer further comprises 0.1 wt. % to 30.0 wt. % of at least one intermetallic precipitate chosen from Ni3Al, NiAl, sigma-phase, and combinations thereof.

13. The bimetallic tube of claim 1, wherein the inner tube layer further comprises 0.01 wt. % to 5.0 wt. % of at least one inclusion chosen from an oxide, a carbide, a nitride, a carbonitride, and combinations thereof.

14. The bimetallic tube of claim 1, wherein the alumina forming bulk alloy has a porosity of less than 2.0 vol. %.

15. The bimetallic tube of claim 1, wherein the alumina forming bulk alloy has an average interior surface roughness (Ra) of less than 1.1 μ

m.

16. The bimetallic tube of claim 1, wherein the oxide layer formed on the surface of the inner tube layer comprises alumina.

17. The bimetallic tube of claim 1, wherein the oxide layer is a mono-layer or a multi-layer structure.

18. The bimetallic tube of claim 1, wherein the oxide layer ranges from 1 nm to 100 μ

m in thickness.

19. A method of making a bimetallic tube for fired heater tubes and/or transfer line exchangers for the transport of hydrocarbon feedstocks in petrochemical process and/or refinery process units, comprising the steps of:

i) providing an outer tube layer, wherein said outer tube layer is formed from a steam cracker alloy comprising at least 18.0 wt. % Cr and at least 10.0 wt. % Ni;

ii) plasma powder welding an inner tube layer on the inner surface of the outer tube layer, Wherein the inner tube layer is formed from an alumina forming bulk alloy comprising 5.0 to 10.0 wt. % of Al, 18.0 wt. % to 25.0 wt. % Cr, less than 0.5 wt. % Si, and at least 35.0 wt. % Fe with the balance being Ni; and

iii) forming an oxide layer on the surface of the inner tube layer, wherein the oxide layer comprises alumina, chromia, silica, mullite, spinets, or combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the forming of the oxide layer on the surface of the inner tube layer occurs in-situ during use of the alumina forming bulk alloy when exposed to hydrocarbon process streams in petrochemical or refining process units.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the forming of the oxide layer on the surface of the inner tube layer occurs prior to use by exposing the bimetallic tube material to a controlled low oxygen partial pressure environment.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the controlled low oxygen partial pressure environment is chosen from refinery plant steam, petrochemical plant steam, a gaseous H₂O:

H₂ mixture, and a gaseous CO₂;

CO mixture.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the controlled low oxygen partial pressure environment further includes one or more other gases chosen from CH₄, NH₃, N₂, O₂, Ar, hydrocarbons and combinations thereof.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the controlled low oxygen partial pressure environment temperature is from 500°

C. to 1200°

C.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the controlled low oxygen partial pressure environment exposure time is from 1 hour to 500 hours.

26. The method of claim 19 further including densifying the inner tube layer by a method Chosen from post-annealing, tempering, laser melting and combinations thereof.

27. The method of claim 19 further including reducing the surface roughness of the inner tube layer by a method chosen from mechanical polishing, electro polishing, lapping and combinations thereof.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the outer tube layer comprises at least 20.0 wt. % Cr and at least 30.0 wt. %.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein the inner tube layer comprises 5.0 wt. % to 8.0 wt. % of Al, 19.0 wt. % to 24.0 wt. % Cr, less than 0.5 wt. % Si, and at least 35.0 wt. % Fe with the balance being Ni.

30. A method of reducing corrosion, coking and/or fouling in fired heater tubes and transfer tine exchangers for the transport of hydrocarbon feedstocks in refinery and petrochemical process operations comprising:

providing bimetallic tubes for the fired heater tubes and/or the transfer line exchangers, wherein the bimetallic tubes comprise;

i) an outer tube layer being formed from a steam cracker alloy comprising at least 18.0 wt. % Cr and at least 10.0 wt. % Ni;

ii) an inner tube layer being formed from an alumina forming bulk alloy comprising 5.0 to 10.0 wt. % of Al, 18.0 wt. % to 25.0 wt. % Cr, less than 0.5 wt. % Si, and at least 35.0 wt. % Fe with the balance being Ni, wherein the inner tube layer is formed by plasma powder welding the alumina forming bulk alloy on the inner surface of the outer tube layer; and

iii) an oxide layer formed on the surface of the inner tube layer, wherein the oxide layer comprises alumina, chromia, silica, mullite, spinets, or combinations thereof.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the out tube layer comprises at least 20.0 wt % Cr and at least 30.0 wt % Ni.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the inner tube layer comprises 5.0 wt % to 8.0 wt. % of Al, 19.0 wt. % to 24.0 wt. % Cr, less than 0.5 wt. % Si, and at least 35.0 wt. % Fe with the balance being Ni.