Safety and Compliance Factors to Consider for Material Selection of Steam Drum

Safety and Compliance Factors to Consider for Material Selection of Steam Drum

Compliance with Pressure Vessel Material Standards

The steam drum is classified as a pressure-bearing special equipment, and its main material must meet the explicit requirements of the national standard GB150 Pressure Vessels. It is necessary to select certified special steel for pressure vessels (such as Q345R, Q245R, etc.). Non-standard carbon steel, ordinary steel plates and other materials that do not meet pressure-bearing safety requirements are prohibited.

Meanwhile, the material shall be accompanied by complete quality certification documents (material certificates, flaw detection reports, strength test reports, etc.), and the manufacturer shall have the qualification for pressure vessel manufacturing to ensure that the mechanical properties, temperature and pressure resistance of the material meet the standards.

Satisfaction of Medium Safety Protection Requirements

In view of the corrosive medium such as sulfides (H₂S) and acidic components in the pyrolysis oil and gas of waste tires, the material shall meet the safety and compliance requirements for corrosion protection:

If carbon steel is selected, it shall be equipped with inner wall anti-corrosion coatings (such as epoxy resin, polytetrafluoroethylene coating) that comply with the industrial anti-corrosion construction specifications, and the coating adhesion and temperature resistance shall pass the test;

If stainless steel (such as 304/316 stainless steel) is selected, it is necessary to ensure that the intergranular corrosion resistance of the material complies with the GB/T 4334 stainless steel corrosion test standard to avoid equipment leakage and rupture caused by long-term corrosion of the medium.

Adaptation to Process Safety Performance Specifications

For the temperature fluctuation conditions of batch processes, the material shall meet the requirements of thermal fatigue resistance performance. Its thermal expansion coefficient and toughness index shall conform to the safe operation requirements of frequent heating and cooling, so as to prevent weld cracking and shell deformation caused by thermal expansion and contraction;

For parts susceptible to medium erosion such as oil-gas inlets, the material or lining shall comply with the wear-resistant protection specifications to avoid pressure-bearing safety hazards caused by local erosion thinning.

Compliance with Supporting Safety Accessories

The material shall reserve welding interfaces for safety accessories such as safety valves, pressure gauges and thermometers. The material compatibility and welding process of the interfaces shall comply with the installation specifications for pressure vessel accessories, ensuring that the safety accessories can effectively play the role of overpressure relief and parameter monitoring, and avoiding leakage caused by mismatched interface materials.

Satisfaction of Environmental Protection and Explosion-proof Safety Specifications

The material shall be suitable for the anti-static and explosion-proof safety requirements of the equipment:

The main material shall have good electrical conductivity, or be equipped with a grounding device that complies with the anti-static grounding specifications, with the grounding resistance ≤10Ω, so as to prevent electrostatic accumulation caused by the internal flow of oil and gas and avoid explosion;

The external coating of the equipment shall comply with the fire and high-temperature resistance specifications, preventing the coating from burning and producing toxic and harmful substances under high-temperature conditions, so as to meet the dual requirements of environmental protection and fire safety.