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Dr. Winfried Heimann

was heading varios division of R+D, quality control and application engineering in Thyssen Edelstahlwerke and
ThyssenKrupp Nirosta
was being Senior Manager with Outokumpu Stainless
after retirement he is acting as Consultant in this field

Christian Behrle
is heading the Technical Department for R+D in Fischer-group
specialised in SS-tubes for desalinations
DME Member of the Board
Member of IDA
Member of EDS

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Typical Relation of Corrosion Resistance und Mechanical

Strength of some Stainless Steel Grades

Superferritic grades
1.4565

1.4547

1.4539

1.4404

Ferritic-Austenitic

28 Cr
(Duplex)-Grades
+ Mo
+ Ni
1.4410
1.4362
1.4162

1.4521

Ferritic grades

Mechanical Strength

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Corrosion Resistance

Austenitic grades

Stainless Steel Grades for Seawater Desalination Plants

ASTM
A 240

Cr
%

Ni
%

Mo
%

Others

PRE1

CPT2
C

1.4162

S32101

21

1,5

0,3

26

19

1.4362

S32304

23

4,8

0,3

26

25

1.4410

S32750

25

4,0

43

85

1.4521

S44400

18

<0,5

1,90

Ti + Nb

24

22

1.4404

316 L

17

10

2,1

25

21

1.4547

S31254

20

18

6,1

N + Cu

43

87

1.4565

S34565

24

17

4,5

N + Mn

46

>87

PRE= %Cr + 3,3%Mo + 16x%N (Pitting Resistance Equivalent)

Critical Pitting Temperature acc. ASTM G 150
Duplex stainless steel grades
Ferritic stainless steel grades

Austenitic stainless steel grades

Ref.: Mikael Willfr, Outokumpu:

Materials selection for thermal plants
DME-Workshop 2008, Duisburg

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1
2

EN
10088

Mechanical properties of Stainless Steel Cold rolled Strip

Minimum Values
ASTM
A 240

1.4162

S32101

(530)

(700)

(30)

1.4362

S32304

450(420)

650(600)

20(20)

1.4410

S32750

550(550)

750(750)

20(15)

1.4521

S44400

320(275)

420(415)

20(20)

1.4404

S31603

240

530

40

1.4547

S31254

320(310)

650(690)

(35)

1.4565

S34565

420

800

30

Duplex stainless steel grades

Tensile
Strength
Rm
MPa
EN(ASTM)

Ferritic stainless steel grades

Elongation
A5
%
EN(ASTM)

Austenitic stainless steel grades

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EN
10088

Yield Strength
Rp0,2
MPa
EN(ASTM)

Physical Properties of Stainless Steel grades

(Average values according to EN 10088 or ASTM A240)
Ferritic grades
Duplex grades
Austenitic grades
17Cr
28Cr
1.4404
1.4547
2Mo
1-4Mo
1.4565
0-2Ni
(Superaustenitics)
Density

g/cm

7,7

7,7

7,8

8,0

8,1

Modulus of
Elasticity
GPa

220

200

200

200

195

Thermal
Conductivity
W/mK

23

17,5

15

15

12

Thermal
Expansion
RT - 300C
10-6/K

11

10

14,0

17,0

16,5

Specific Heat
J/kgC

430

500

500

500

450

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(Superferritics)

Corrosion of Materials in Sea Water Desalination Plants

Forms of corrosion
General corrosion
Pitting and crevice corrosion
Erosion corrosion

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Galvanic corrosion

Corrosion Resistance of Stainless Steel in Sea Water

Stainless Steels have negligible thinning in sea water

Chromium oxide film (passive layer) forms immediately
on steel surface with exposure to air

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Oxygen levels as low as 20 ppb are still sufficient to

repair itself after being damaged

Corrosion Resistance of Stainless Steel in Sea Water

Pitting and Crevice Corrosion
Under certain conditions the protective surface film
on stainless steels can break down locally:
oxyginated water
high chloride
too high chlorination level
low pH-value
pitting and crevice corrosion

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more resistant grade has to be selected

acc. to PRE = %Cr + 3,3% Mo + 30 (16)% N
ranking of alloys can be carried out

Critical Pitting and Crevice Corrosion Temperatures

of Stainless Steel Grades
According to ASTM G 48
100
1.4565

Pitting
Crevice Corrosion
1.4547

1.4410

60
1.4462

40

1.4565

1.4547
1.4539

1.4410

1.4439

20

1.4404
1.4404

25

1.4439

1.4539

1.4462

35

45

PRE (%Cr + 3.3 %Mo + 30 %N)

55

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Temperature [C]

80

Critical Pitting Temperature of Stainless Steel Grades

Critical Pitting Temperature

(Values determined according to ASTM G 150)

Austenitic Stainless Steel Grades

Ref.: Outokumpu Stainless
Corrosion Handbook
Ninth Edition, 2004

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Duplex Stainless Steel Grades

Influence of PRE (Pitting Resistance Equivalent)

%Cr + 3,3x%Mo on the CPT (Critical Pitting Temperature)
of welded and unwelded Stainless Steels
90
C

unwelded
TIG-welded,
without filler
TIG-welded,
overalloyed filler
(THERMANIT 625)
Laser-welded tubes
(0,3x30)mm,
minimum value

70
60
50

20 Cr / 6,1 Mo

1.4565

20 Cr / 6,6
Mo

1.4529

40
1.4439 1.4539
1.4462

30
20

1.4438
1.4404

10

Test according to ASTM G48

0
25

30

35

PRE = % Cr + 3.3 % Mo

40

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Critical Pitting Temperature

80

Erosion Corrosion in Sea Water Desalination Plants

Erosion corrosion is the most common failure, e.g. in the heat rejection
Copper alloys, brasses and bronzes are prone to impingement attack,
at sea water velocities above 3m/s.
In sea water polluted with solids copper based alloys suffer
severe erosion corrosion even at very low flow rates (< 0,5 m/s)

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Stainless steels and especially high alloyed grades like Duplex and
Superaustenitics are much better resistant to erosion corrosion than
copper based alloys.
There is no risk of erosion corrosion with special stainless steels
at velocities up 20 m/s even up to 40 m/s with high nitrogen containing
Superaustenitic steel UNS S34565.

Corrosion Resistance of Stainless Steel in Sea Water

Erosion and Erosion Corrosion

The passive layer is maintained at
very high flow rates and

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Sea water velocities in excess of 40 m/s can

be accommodated (in praxis usually below 10m/s)

Ferritic Cr-Steels

Duplex Stainless Steels

1000

100

Austenitic
Mn-Steels

Austenitic
Steel
Superaustenitic Steels
UNS S34565

10

1
0

20

40
Flow velocity [m/s]

60

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Corrosion rate [g/m d]

Corrosion of Stainless Steels

in Contaminated (Solids) Flowing Sea Water

Galvanic Corrosion in Sea Water Desalination Plants

Multi-metal systems: Stainless steels, titanium, copper aloys
Titanium is cathodic to most of other metals.
Stainless steels are towards the more noble end of
the galvanic series.
Superaustenitic stainless steels are compatible with titanium
because their free corrosion potential is close together.

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Galvanic corrosion occurs when using titanium or stainless steel

tubing together with copper based alloy tube sheets, increasing
corrosion attack to the tube sheet to a point where cathodic
protection is required in the water boxes.

Chlorination Performance of Stainless Steel

Chlorination is used to control microbiological films.
To prevent the build-up of biofilms and remove settled biological species.
Practice of chlorination is the addition of a hypochloride solution
to the sea water
Chlorination can be either continuous or
intermittent (Chlorine is added for shorter periods
e.g. twice a day 15 minutes)
Chlorination level
- continuous: 0,1 - 0,4 ppm
- intermittent: several ppm
total amount of chlorine is less than with systems
using continuous systems
The objective: Keep the residual chlorine level < 0,5 ppm

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Stainless steel perform well up to 2ppm

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Condenser tubes UNS S34565

Weld shape of TIG and Laser welded Stainless Steel

thin walled tubes, welded from 1,5 mm cold rolled strip

Tungsten inert gas welding - TIG

Welding root sag < 0,2 mm

Welding root planed

Laser welding

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Welding root sag

< 0,15 mm

Corrosion Tests in Simulated MSF Desalination

Plant Evironments
Tests carried out by Cortest Laboratories, Sheffield

Experimental Test Program

Material:
UNS S34565, laser welded tube with
0,35 mm wall thickness,
20 mm and 30 mm diameter
UNS S31603, S31803, S32760, and S34565,
plate material

Test Environment:

Test Duration: 30 days

Tube assembly specimen

Methodes of joining:
Welding to the tube plate
Rolling into the tube plate
Ref.: NACE Corrosion 2001, Paper No. 01484
NACE Corrosion 2002, Paper No. 02190

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Alloy C276 autoclave

Syntetic sea water heated to 90C
Three oxigen levels, 750, 150, and 65 ppb

Corrosion Tests in Simulated MSF Desalination

Plant Evironments
Tests carried out by Cortest Laboratories, Sheffield

Results:
UNS S34565 thin walled, laser welded tubing did not
corrode in any of the tests
No corrosion occurred at the welds of any
tubeplate material studied.
UNS S34565, S32760, S31603
Some corrosion was observed at non welded joints.
Greatest on S32760 and least on S34565.
The extend of corrosion on the non-welded assemblies
was not great. In particular for the S34565 the corrosion is
insignificant at the lowest oxigen level tested of 65 ppb.

Conclusions:

UNS S34565 thin walled laser welded tubes when rolled into S34565 tubeplate
would be suitable for MSF plant evaporators.
Ref.: NACE Corrosion 2001, Paper No. 01484
NACE Corrosion 2002, Paper No. 02190

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UNS S34565 thin walled laser welded tubes when welded to S34565, S32760 or S31603
tubeplates would be suitable for MSF plant evaporators.

Stainless Steel grades for Condenser Tubes

for MSF-Desalination Plants
Superaustenitic stainless steels:
1.4565 (S34565)
Superduplex stainless steels:
1.4410 (S32750)
1.4501 (S32760)

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Superferritic stainless steels:

Seacure(S44660)
1.4592 (S44735)

Stainless Steel grades for Condenser Tubes

for MED-Desalination Plants
Austenitic stainless steels:
1.4404 (S31603)
Duplex stainless steels:
1.4162 (S32101)
1.4362 (S32304)
Ferritic stainless steels:

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1.4521 (S44400)

Stainless Steel thin walled Tubes for Desalination Plants

MSF Plants:
Heat recovery stages
Heat reject stages
Brine heater
Vacuum systems

MED Plants
Evaporator shell

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Tube and Tube support plates

Vacuum ejectors
Condenser tubes

Technical Data:

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1,4 Million Meters

Condenser Tubes of 1.4565
(UNS S34565)
Producer: Fischer Edelstahlrohre GmbH

MED - HTE Multi Effect Distillation

Horizontal Tube Evaporation
Capacity:
2 x 12.000 m / d
Operating Temperature:
<65C
Raw Water:
Brackish Water
Destillate :
< 5S/cm
Effectiveness:
>95 %

Stainless Steels in the Sea-Water-Desalination

Condenser Tubes made of 1.4565

VA TECH WABAG

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Source:

Windpowered seawater desalination Plant

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Stainless Steels in the Sea-Water-Desalination

Technology Heat-Exchanger Tubes
made of 1.4565

MSF and MED condenser tubing

Historically titanium and copper alloys
Poor availability of titanium
Environmental impact of toxic copper ions

Trends and options

Decreasing use of copper alloys
Use of corrosion resistant stainless steels
Duplex stainless steels
Austenitic and superaustenitic stainless steels
Ferritic and superferritic stainless steels

Ref.: DME-Seminar Materials and Corrosion in

Desalination Plants, June 2007
Heike Glade, Bremen
Jan Olsson, Outokumpu Stainless

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Reduction of wall thickness, e.g.

heat exchanger tubes with 0,3 to 0,1 mm,
UNS S34565 Ref. AVR Rotterdam

Reference List
Fischer Edelstahlrohre GmbH
Rgen

Evaporator-Condenser Tubes of UNS S34565

in Operation since 1998 at about 80C

St. Martin

Testing of Condenser Tubes of UNS S34565

since 1998

Rotterdam

MED-Plant of AVR Rotterdam, NL

in Operation since Dez. 1999,
1,4 Mio m Tubes of UNS S34565

Al-Taweelah A1 Condenser tubes of 316 L (1.4404) / MED

South Korea
Sharjah U.A.E.

Evaporator-Condenser Tubes of UNS S34565

will start up in 2009 at about 80C
Evaporator-Condenser Tubes of UNS S34565
Installation in a MED test plant
Layyah Station for Power Generation & Water
Desalination Intake Pump Cooling Coil

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Creek Island