Proceedings of the ASME 2010 Pressure Vessels & Piping Division / K-PVP Conference

PVP2010
July 18-22, 2010, Bellevue, Washington, USA

PVP2010-2

WELD REPAIR FOR PRESSURE VESSELS MADE FROM CR-MO STEELS

Rinzo KAYANO * , Eiichi YAMAMOTO **, Takayasu TAHARA ***

* Muroran Research Laboratory, The Japan Steel Works, Ltd.
4 Chatsu-machi, Muroran, Hokkaido 051-8505 JAPAN
rinzo_kayano@jsw.co.jp
** Eishin Techno Co.
*** Petroleum Association of Japan

optimum repair welding methods and procedures in the

guideline on November 2009, with reference to the above
investigation results. This paper also introduces the repair
welding guideline for the pressure vessels made from Cr-Mo
steels.

ABSTRACT
Pressure vessels made from Cr-Mo steels are utilized for
high temperature and high pressure services including hot
hydrogen services. After long term operation, there are
several past experiences of damages and/or degradation of
materials
such
as
temper
embrittlement, creep
embrittlement,
hydrogen
attack
and
hydrogen
embrittlement.
This
paper
summarizes
typical
damages/degradation and examples of weld repairs
including special attention to development of weld repair
procedure. The subject equipments are heavy wall
petroleum pressure vessels made from Cr-Mo steel with
austenitic stainless steel overlay cladding. Cracking could
be prevented by controlling the repair welding process to
reduce the hydrogen content at the interface. After repair
welding, adequate post weld heat treatment (PWHT) has to
be executed.
Recently, repair welding has become an important
aspect as part of post construction codes for pressure
equipment to keep safe and long term continuous operation
of the process plants because many of the plants have been
operated for more than thirty years in Japan. Responding
to the needs of petroleum and chemical industries, The
Chemical Plant Welding Research Committee (CPWRC) of
The Japan Welding Engineering Society (JWES)
established the Pressure Equipment Repair Welding
Subcommittee (PERW S/C)[1]. The S/C has developed

1. Introduction
In recent 40 years, the progress of technologies for
petroleum pressure vessels, such as hydrocracker and
hydrodesulfurization reactors, can be divided into four
generations as shown in Tale1. These reactors have been
operated in high temperature, high pressure hydrogen
environment. This experience provides fundamental
database for serviceability assessment of the reactors.
Damages such as creep, temper and hydrogen
embrittlement and hydrogen attack during long time
operation were reported in the base metal, weld seam and
weld overlay cladding by in-service inspection for old
generation reactors. As a result of investigation these data
and measures to prevent the damage has been accumulated
and reported.
In the case of repair welding for petroleum pressure
vessels after long term operations, weld cold cracking
sometimes occurred at the base metal of Cr-Mo steel
/overlaying metal of austenitic stainless steels interface in
the structural materials of the pressure vessels after
welding [2,3]. It has been reported that such cracking is
caused by thermal and hydrogen embrittlement in the

Downloaded From: http://proceedings.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/ on 12/04/2014 Terms of Use: http://asme.org/terms

Copyright 2010 by ASME

degraded structural materials [4,5]. Especially, severe

operating condition such as high temperature and hydrogen
partial pressure accelerated the material degradation at the
interface which a large amount of carbide was precipitated
after heat treatment. It is well known that the hydrogen
emrbrittlement progressed with the increase of dissolved
hydrogen concentration. Hydrogen induced cracking
occurred at the precipitated area of carbide and it
propagated through the coarse austenite grain boundary at
the overlaying metal. Therefore, it is clear that the
interface is the most important part in the pressure vessels.
On the other hand, to reduce the maintenance cost, it is
necessary to extend the life of pressure vessels. Therefore,
it is demanded to establish the repair welding technique.
The CPWRC of the JWES issued Guideline for Repair
Welding -1st Edition in 1983 and 2nd Edition in 1993 for
pressure equipment in petroleum and petrochemical
industries. Recently, repair welding has become an
important aspect as part of post construction codes for
pressure equipment to keep safe and long term continuous
operation of the process plants because many of the plants
have been operated for more than thirty years in Japan.
As above mentioned, the CPWRC established the
Pressure Equipment Repair Welding Subcommittee (PERW
S/C) on August 2004 to renew the said Guideline more
practically in use. The S/C investigated repair welding
cases and technical data bases as 1st phase, and the outline
was presented at ASME PVP 2006[6]. The S/C has
developed the optimum repair welding methods and
procedures, and the S/C published the repair welding
guideline for pressure equipment in Japan on November
2009. This paper summarizes contents of the guideline,
such as typical degradation problem, repair welding method
and special attention, and repair welding case study for
petroleum pressure vessels made from Cr-Mo steels.

applicable codes and standards. The rough indication of

PWHT temperature for Cr-Mo steel is shown in Table3.
When the PWHT is difficult to carry out, temper bead, half
bead technique and controlled deposition method as
specified in ASME Sec. , Div.2 AF420 and NBIC
ANSI/NB-23 Part RD are adopted. However, these
techniques are not applied for the pressure vessel used in
hydrogen service.
3. Typical degradation of Cr-Mo steel pressure vessels
The following section includes considerations on the
characteristics and initiating mechanism of the damage of
hydroprocessing reactor. The typical damage and affecting
factors are summarized in Table 1. The followings are the
brief introduction of the damages which may happen in the
reactors.
3.1 Temper Embrittlement
Cr-Mo steels used for hydroprocessing reactor have
comparatively high sensitivity to temper embrittlement.
The temper embrittlement progresses when the materials
are held within and/or are cooled slowly through an
embrittling temperature range of 370 to 565. Temper
embrittlement can be judged by an increase in ductile to
brittle transition temperatures. And it only occurs in steels
such as Ni-Cr, Ni-Cr-Mo and Cr-Mo alloys in the presence
of impurity elements such as P, Sb, Sn, and As which
segregate on the prior austenitic grain boundaries [7]. Mn
and Si also enhance embrittlement in combination with the
impurity elements mentioned above. Dr.Watanabe et al[8]
developed temper embrittlement parameter called J-factor
(J=(Si+Mn)(P+Sn)x104) as a measure of temper
embrittlement susceptibility, where the element are
expressed by weight percent. In the case of 2.25Cr-1Mo
steels, J-factor of less than 100 is considered to be almost
minimum to temper embrittlement. When the J-factor is
high(>200), significant shift in the transition curve may
happen in the steels as shown in Fig.1[9]. The reactors
fabricated during the 1960s and 70s tended to have high
J-factors and were susceptible to temper embrittlement.
Whereas the recent materials attains low J-factor of around
50 which suggest that the material suffer from no temper
embrittlement. It should be noted that the vanadium
content modified steels exhibit even lesser embrittlement
than the conventional steels with the same J-factors.

2. Category and property of Cr-Mo steels

Table2 shows the typical chemical compositions of
pressure vessel steel used at elevated temperature
standardized in Japanese Industrial Standards(JIS). The
Cr-Mo steel that chromium content is variable from 1% to
5% and molybdenum is alloying is used. Chemical
composition of these Cr-Mo steels is designed in view of
weldability. The design stress intensity value of these
Cr-Mo steels is set according to the code requirement.
These Cr-Mo steels have good hardenablity and it is
needed to take care the weld cold cracking. To prevent the
weld cold cracking, it is effective that preheating and
de-hydrogen heat treatment in temperature of 300 and
350 range and in holding time of 0.5 and 1 hour range
just after welding. The preheating temperature is set in
view of chemical composition, plate thickness, restraint
condition, welding method, etc. Table3 shows the rough
indication of preheating temperature for each Cr-Mo steels.
In field repair work, high temperature and long time
de-hydrogen heat treatment is difficult. Therefore, high
temperature and short time heat treatment is effective.
The PWHT temperature is different by the steel grade and

3.2 Creep Embrittlement

Creep cracking in high temperature reactors made of
1Cr-0.5Mo and 1.25Cr-0.5Mo steels is generally caused by
the coincidence of the peak stress at the weld toe with the
poor creep ductility of heat affected zone(HAZ). On this
creep damage, the grain boundary void is formed firstly and
is coupled which leads to the extension of macrocrack. In
the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Sect., Div.1,
the design stress-intensity values for 1.25Cr-0.5Mo,
2.25Cr-1Mo and 3Cr-1Mo steel sharply decrease over 454
due to the decrease of creep rupture strength. Sensitivity of

Downloaded From: http://proceedings.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/ on 12/04/2014 Terms of Use: http://asme.org/terms

Copyright 2010 by ASME

attachment portion, etc. In this case, PWHT in local or

whole reactor is needed after welding. Fig.4 shows the
PWHT technique after repair welding of the bottom of
gasket groove. It is necessary to consider the high stress
concentration and buckling stress in discontinuity portion
such as nozzle and support skirt attachment during PWHT.
When it is impracticable to apply PWHT immediately after
repair welding of 2.25Cr-1Mo steel, the hydrogen degassing
treatment at 350/400 for 2 hours minimum or interim
PWHT at 600/650 for 1hour/inch are applied to defuse
the residual hydrogen from welds. The temperature of
PWHT is different in kind of steel and code requirements.
The standard temperature of PWHT in 2.25Cr-1Mo steel is
over 677 in ASME code.
Fig.5(a) shows the typical repair welding technique on
overlay and clad without PWHT. The removal of the surface
crack of weld overlay or cladding by grinding is carried out.
It is not necessary to repair by welding stainless steel
overlay or cladding after the removal of surface cracks by
grinding when the remained thickness is kept the
minimum required thickness(MRT) for design strength or
corrosion. The criterion of local thinning area(LTA)
developing by API579 and ASME code case is considered
when MRT is not kept. Fig.5(b) shows the repairing method
by deposit welding without PWHT when the remained
stainless steel weld overlay thickness of not less than 3mm
and over is kept and no harmful hardening to Cr-Mo base
metal by heat input of repair welding is predicted. Fig.5(c)
shows the repair method by attachment welding of flat
patch plate without PWHT when the remained stainless
steel weld overlay or cladding thickness is less than or
exposed Cr-Mo base metal. In this case, the patch plate
needs one vent hole for hydrogen relief in the space. And
the castable lining fills up the spaces to prevent the
corrosion.

creep embrittlement depends on the designation of material.

Fig.2 shows creep rupture strength and ductility of various
Cr-Mo steel HAZ[10]. The limit temperature of will be over
426 for carbon steel, over 454 for 1.25Cr-0.5Mo,
2.25Cr-1Mo and 3Cr-1Mo steel. The locations of welds of
nozzle and support skirt attachments are also important in
terms of the stress concentration.
3.3 Hydrogen Attack
Hydrogen attack happens in operating temperatures of
hydroporcessing reactors in which atomic hydrogen diffuses
in the steel and reacts with the carbon or carbides in the
steel to form methane. The methane can occur at a
surface(surface decarburization) or at fissures or grain
boundaries within the steel(internal decarburization). On
designing the pressure vessel used in the high-temperature,
high pressure hydrogen, material is selected based on the
RP941 [11][12] (as known Nelson chart) recommended by
American Petroleum Institute(API). And this damage is
judged by the material grade, operating temperature and
hydrogen partial pressure under the data referred to this
chart. Hydrogen attack initiation of C-0.5Mo steel
happened below Nelson chart limitation[13]. This
phenomenon depends on the microstructure changing of
this steel by the changing of the cooling rate from
austenitizing temperature at the quenching heat
treatment.
3.4 Hydrogen Embrittlement
Hydrogen embrittlement occurs below 150 in high
strength pressure vessel steels during shutdown conditions.
Because of higher hydrogen solubility at high temperature,
atomic hydrogen diffuses deep into the reactor wall during
operation. At operating temperatures and hydrogen partial
pressure
of
the
hydroprocessing,
the
hydrogen
concentration in the steel wall can build up around 3-7ppm
in thick wall reactors. At these concentrations, spontaneous
hydrogen cracking, also known as delayed hydrogen
cracking, occurred when the reactor cooled rapidly which
prevent the hydrogen to diffuse out of the steel as shown in
Fig.3[14]. The susceptibility can be judged by the critical
crack growth limit (KIH) which depends on he tensile
strength at room temperature and bulk hydrogen
concentration. The temper embrittlement enhances the
hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility.

5. Repair welding case study

The followings indicate actual examples of repair
procedure developed by JSW. Defects weld joint in 10 years
operated unicracking reactor were repair welded in 4in.
(102mm)I.D. quench nozzle as shown in Fig.6. The reactor
was preheated at 150 minimum, welding defects were
removed by arc-air gouging and grinding. The reactor was
dehydrogenated at 350 for 2 hours, and preheated at
200 minimum. The interim PWHT operation was at
650 for 5 hours after Cr-Mo weld build-up. The PWHT
operation was at 690 for 8 hours. This PWHT was
applied to circumference to shell including neighboring
nozzles.
The Ring Type Joint (RTJ) gasket groove cracks in
hydrocracking reactor operated for 5 years were repaired on
24in. (610mm) I.D. outlet nozzle by replacement to new
nozzle flange as shown in Fig.7. The pre-repair
dehydrogenated treatment were 350/400 for 2 hours. Old
nozzle flange was cut off by arc-air gouging at preheating
temperature of 150. U groove bevel was used. Cr-Mo weld
was preheated at 150 minimum. TP309L stainless steel

4. Repair welding method and special attention

The possibility of repair must be judged carefully by
considering the damages, applicability of welding, PWHT
during repair work and further degradation due to and
after repair. Four repairing methods such as grinding off,
attachment of patch plate, repair welding and replacement
are applicable depend on type of damage, defects size and
maintenance strategies.
The repair welding of Cr-Mo base metal is applicable
when the remained base metal thickness is less than
minimum required thickness for design strength, or it is not
practical to repair by attachment of patch plate in internal

Downloaded From: http://proceedings.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/ on 12/04/2014 Terms of Use: http://asme.org/terms

Copyright 2010 by ASME

[1] E.Yamamoto, et al, ASME PVP 2008-61891 (2008)

[2] R.Kayano, et al, ICPVT-10 (2003).
[3] R. Kayano, et al, ASME PVP 442 (2002).
[4] E. W. Johnson and J. Hudak: WRC Bulletin 240 (1978).
[5] R. Kayano, K. Kimura, H. Tokushige, T. Ishiguro:
ASME PVP 380 (1998).
[6] E.Yamamoto, et al, ASME-PVP 2006-ICPVT11-93830
[7] C.J.McMahon Jr., ASTM STP 407, pp.127-167, ASTM
Philadelphia, 1968
[8] J.Watanabe, et al, ASME Petroleum Mechanical
Engineering Conference, Dallas, TX, Sep.15-18, 1974
[9] T.Iwadate, et al, ASME PVP Vol.33 (1992)
[10] T.Ishiguro, et al, Tetsu-to-Hagane, Vol.70, No.10(1984)
(in Japanese)
[11] API Publication 941 3rded, 1983, API, Washington,
D.C.
[12] API Publication 941 4th ed., 1990
[13] K.Kimura, et al, ASME PVP Vol.36(1996)
[14] A.J.Bagdasarian et al, The NACE Annual Conference
(1993)
[15] R.Kayano, ASME PVP 2008-61909 (2008)

overlay was preheated at 100 minimum. The post-repair

dehydrogenated treatment were 350/400 for 12 hours.
The repair was locally PWHTed at 690 for 8 hours.
TP347L stainless steel overlay was welded without
preheating. Finally, the nozzle flange and weld joint was
hydrostatically tested locally as shown in Fig.7.
6. Discussion
In the consideration of repair weldability for
hydroprocessing pressure vessel made by Cr-Mo steel with
stainless steel overlay weld, it is important to evaluate the
hydrogen content in the steel. It is clear that the hydrogen
diffusion occurred from the base metal / overlaying metal
interface to the base metal at the repair welding in the case
of residual overlay thickness of 2 and 3mm from the
hydrogen behavior analysis results[15]. The change of
residual overlay thickness is assumable that of peak
temperature in repair welding. Cracking could be prevented
by reduction of the hydrogen content at the interface.
In the repair welding on overlay and/or clad, it is
important to take care the hardness distribution of the
cross section. It was shown that HAZ of repair welding did
not extend to Cr-Mo base metal even if the residual overlay
thickness was over than 3mm[2][3]. However, it was
recognized that HAZ of repair welding extended to base
metal and hardening when residual overlay thickness was
1mm(0.04 inches). And the change of hardness distribution
did not occur before and after PWHT when residual
thickness is 3mm(1/8 inches). But the hardness of base
metal and overlay weld interface extremely increased
around HV400 after repair welding and it decreased around
HV320 after PWHT when residual overlay thickness was
1mm(0.04 inches). Recently, the case in which cracks in the
overlay weld propagate to base metal is reported, so it is
necessary to avoid extreme hardening at the interface
between base metal and weld overlay.
7. Summary
This
paper
outlined
the
typical
damage
of
hydroprocessing reactor built between the 1960s and 1990s,
such as temper embrittlement, creep embrittlement,
hydrogen attack and hydrogen embrittlement. Cracking
sometimes occurred at repair welding for these damages,
which will be useful for consideration of repair welding on
Cr-Mo steel pressure vessels for other application. This
Cracking could be prevented by controlling the repair
welding process to reduce the hydrogen content. This paper
has described the repair welding guideline of
hydroprocessing pressure vessels made from Cr-Mo steel.
The
Pressure
Equipment
Repair
Welding
Subcommittee(S/C) in Chemical Plant Equipment Welding
Research Committee, Japan Welding Engineering Society
(JWES) developed the repair welding guideline in 2009.
The S/C utilizes this as one of the private post construction
standards in the future.
References

Downloaded From: http://proceedings.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/ on 12/04/2014 Terms of Use: http://asme.org/terms

Copyright 2010 by ASME

Table1 History of fabrication technologies for heavy wall reactors

2nd Generation

3rd Generation

4th Generation

5th Generation

1965 1972

1973 1980

1981 1987

1988 1997

1998

Multi-Layer Rx

Forged-in Shell/One Piece Head Serviceability Assessment

1st Generation

Year
Technology
Improvement

Heavy Thk. Forged Ring Improved RTJ/Internal Attachment

SAW OL

Improved Double Layer OL

PZ OL

TE Sensitivity
Factor,
J-Factor

No-Spec.

CVN Impact
Toughness
Av.55/Min.45J

10oC

TOFD/UT for heavy wall

Improved Single Layer OL

Si = 0.10 max. (VCD Proces)

J=100max.
J=300max.
J=250max.
0oC

J=150max.
J=130max.
J=180max.
- 7oC
- 15 oC
- 20 oC - 30oC ( vTr 55 = - 40oC )

930ton
850ton (250mm)
(260mm)

Thickness
& Size-up

814ton
(251mm)
500ton Field Fab.
325ton (260mm)
2.25Cr-1Mo Rx
(211mm)

1,138ton
(328mm)
Max. 344mm

1,450ton
(273mm)

2.25Cr-1Mo-V Rx
3Cr-1Mo-V Rx

Table2 Chemical composition of typcical pressure vessel steel

Grade

1,298ton
(262mm)
Max. 347mm

(mass.%)

Si

Mn

Cr

Mo

0.5Mo

JIS G 3103 SB 450M

0.251)

0.15/ 0.40

0.90

0.030

0.030

0.45/ 0.60

1Cr

JIS G 4109 SCMV 2

0.17

0.45

0.36/ 0.69

0.030

0.030

0.74/ 1.21

0.40/ 0.65

1.25Cr

JIS G 4109 SCMV 3

0.17

0.44/ 0.86

0.36/ 0.69

0.030

0.030

0.94/ 1.56

0.40/ 0.70

2.25Cr

JIS G 4109 SCMV 4

0.17

0.50

0.27/ 0.63

0.030

0.030

1.88/ 2.62

0.85/ 1.15

3Cr

JIS G 4109 SCMV 5

0.17

0.50

0.27/ 0.63

0.030

0.030

2.63/ 3.37

0.85/ 1.15

5Cr

JIS G 4109 SCMV 6

0.15

0.55

0.27/ 0.63

0.030

0.030

3.90/ 6.10

0.40/ 0.70

1)Spec. is changed by plate thickness

Table3

Preheat, interpass and PWHT temp. of various Cr-Mo steels

S teel

0.5M o
0.5C r-0.5M o
0.75C r-0.5M o

1C r-0.5M o
1.25C r-0.5M o

2.25C r-1M o
3C r-1M o

5C r-0.5M o
9C r-1M o

Ehn.2.25C r-1M o
2.25C r-1M o-V
3C r-1M o-V

P -N o.

3-13-2

4-1

5-1

5-2

5C -1

P reheat and
interpass
tem p./deg.C

80-200

120-300

150-350

200-350

200-350

P W H T tem p
/degC

595

650-700

675

705

675

Downloaded From: http://proceedings.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/ on 12/04/2014 Terms of Use: http://asme.org/terms

Copyright 2010 by ASME

Fig.1 FATT vs J-factor Relationship [9]

Fig.2 Creep rupture strength and ductility of various Cr-Mo HAZ(Test temp.:550)[10]
Fig.3 Hydrogen Assisted Crack Problem of Cr-Mo
Steel [14]

Downloaded From: http://proceedings.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/ on 12/04/2014 Terms of Use: http://asme.org/terms

Copyright 2010 by ASME

5
1

Repair Weld of
Gasket Groove

Thermocouple
3

Insulation
Panel Heater
Nozzle Flange
7
8

For Heater Control

Arrangement of PWHT after Repair Weld for Nozzle Gasket Groove

Fig.4 PWHT guideline after repair welding of the bottom of gasket groove

(a)

(b)

(c)

Fig.5 Repair welding procedure on the overlay weld

Downloaded From: http://proceedings.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/ on 12/04/2014 Terms of Use: http://asme.org/terms

Copyright 2010 by ASME

Type of Reactor

Type of Defects

-Unicracking Reactor in 10 years Services

-Deep and Long Welding Defects

427oC

-DP : 11.8MPaG

in 4 Quench Nozzle Attached to

-2.25Cr-1Mo Steel

-Tp.309 Weld O. L.

Shell Side

-Shell Thk. : 118mm

-Weld O. L. Thk. : 6mm

-DT :

Tp. 309L
Weld Overlay

Remove of
Cracks in
1/3 Circum.
Quench Nozzle

All Circum. LPWHT

by Heating Band
with Min. 4T
(T:Vessel Wall)
Cr-Mo Welding

Tp. 309L Weld Overlay

Preheat:100oC Min.
Gouging

NDE

DHT: 350oC x 2hrs.

Preheat:200oC Min.
Cr-Mo Weld

DHT: 350oC x 2hrs.

NDE

Preheat : 100oC Min.

Tp.309L Weld O. L.

PWHT:690oC x 8hrs.

NDE

Fig.6 Repair welding case study of quench nozzle attached to shell

Type of Reactor

Type of Defects

-HC Reactor in 5 years Services

-Deep Crack by Over-tightening

-DT :

454oC

-2.25Cr-1Mo Steel

-DP : 14.6MPaG

in Gasket Groove of Btm. 24

-Tp.309+347 Weld O. L.

Manhole Nozzle

-Nozzle Neck Thk. : 94mm -Weld O. L. Thk. : 6.4mm

Cutting of
Nozzle Neck

Detection of Crack in
Gasket Groove of
Bottom Nozzle
Flange

Fit-up of New Flange

Cutting of
Damaged Flange

Panel Heater

Insulation
Cr-Mo Weld &
S.S. Weld Overlay

Local PWHT

NDE &
Partial Hydrostatic Test

Fig.7 Repair welding case study of bottom nozzle flange

Downloaded From: http://proceedings.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/ on 12/04/2014 Terms of Use: http://asme.org/terms

Copyright 2010 by ASME