Post Weld Heat Treatment of Socket Weld Valves CB 20 Flow Control Division Vogt Valves Post Weld Heat Treatment of Socket Weld Valves
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Vogt Valves The Connection Bulletin for Post Weld Heat Treatment of Socket Weld Valves CB 20 Flow Control Division Vogt Valves Post Weld Heat Treatment of Socket Weld Valves INTRODUCTION POST WELD HEAT TREATMENT stituents have formed, the weld should be Some manufacturing and user construction OF SOCKET WELD VALVES allowed to cool to the recommended mini- codes require that welds connecting valves Many piping and construction codes require mum preheat temperature shown in Table I to pipe runs in process systems be post weld that valves welded into pipe line runs have before starting the post weld heat treatment. heat treated. The Vogt Valve Company is the welds and heat affected zones heat occasionally asked for recommendations treated after welding. Properly done, post and comments on post weld heat treating of weld heat treatment reduces residual weld- POST WELD HEAT TREATING valves. This report contains our current rec- ing stresses and softens hard metallurgical AND VALVE TRIM ommendations. While no single paper can microconstituents that form in both weld Post weld heat treatment of valves is techni- cover all the problems that the post weld metal and base metal heat affected zones. cally difficult because, unlike pipe to pipe or heat treater in the field faces, this short pipe to fitting welds, valves contain internal report describes Vogt experimental heat Post weld heat treatment is, depending on parts whose properties are alterable in post treating that will help in the difficult tasks of the alloy, involve temperatures generally not weld treatment. The most standard valve trim localized field post weld heat treating. A lower than 1100 degrees Fahrenheit and is 13% chromium (410 and 416) martensitic basic description of valve and valve trim not normally above 1350 degrees stainless steel. Gate valve trim parts include components and how they react to elevated Fahrenheit. Most post weld heat treating is a gate, seat rings, and the 416 or 410 temperatures is included. done below the lower critical AC1 tempera- stem. The 13% chromium steels are most cor- ture of both base and weld metal. The criti- rosion resistant in the fully hardened condi- cal temperatures for plain carbon steel and tion. Tempering reduces corrosion resistance. BACKGROUND for the alloy steels commonly used in valve The lower the tempering temperature the Technical articles on post weld heat treat- construction; viz, greater the corrosion resistance and the ment at the grass roots level are few. This F11, F22 and F5 are shown in Table 1. higher the hardness and strength. article is a basic document on post weld While hardenability of these alloys is rela- Conversely, the higher the tempering temper- heat treatment of valves. No new or radical tively high, their low carbon levels in concert ature the lower the corrosion resistance, metallurgical phenomena or hypotheses with proper preheating for welding preclude hardness and strength. here; just some critical temperatures; preheat development of extremely high as-welded temperatures and the results of work done hardnesses. F11, F22 and F5 within the When gate valve seat rings are hardsur- by Vogt to provide tips on equipment and ASTM A-182 chemistry ranges respond well faced with either cobalt or nickel based set-up to make post weld heat treatment of to stress relieving temperatures: 1150, 1250 hardsurfacing material the hardsurface socket weld valves easier. Planning for post and 1325 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively. deposits retain their wear and corrosion weld heat treatment with respect to equip- resistant qualities even after exposure to high ment, temperature control and thermocouple Post weld heat treatment criticality increases stress relieving temperatures. Seat ring distor- placement is critical and must be empha- as the carbon level increases and as the tion has not been a problem. sized. The report gives rules of thumb on the valve and pipe wall thickness and diameter effect of post weld heat treatment on some of increase. The welding process involving both the common body, bonnet and trim materials preheat and post weld heat treatment is most used in many valves with emphasis on mate- successful when there is no interruption rials used in Vogt valves. between preheat and post weld heat treat- ments. To assure that all hard microcon- 2 Flow Control Division Vogt Valves Post Weld Heat Treatment of Socket Weld Valves Globe valves with 13% chromium trim are prior to post weld heat treating. If done in 46 subject to the same thermal influence as in this manner, this special note of caution for 45 gate valves with respect to discs and stems. gate valves: gates are seated in during facto- 44 Globe valve seats are generally integrally ry assembly to create a match between gate 43 hardsurfaced and are, as in the case of the and seat rings. It is important the pair and gate valve seat ring, virtually unaffected by orientation be re-established during reassem- 42 post weld heat treatment. When the valve bly on completion of post weld heat treat- 41 trim is unstabilized 300 series stainless steel, ment. Orientation is not a factor in globe 40 some sensitization of the parts may be valves but it is recommended that body and 39 encountered during post weld heat treat- sub assemblies be reunited after heat treat- 38 ment. Depending upon application of the ment. When heat treating socket weld ends HARDNESS ROCKWELL C 37 system, this may or may not be troublesome. of seal weld valves or assembled bonnet 36 valves, we suggest that the gate or disc be 35 The higher the alloy content in the valve in the retracted position so that there is as 34 body, the higher the post weld heat treating much distance as possible between the gate 33 temperature. The higher the temperature the or disc and the weld joint during heat treat- 32 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 greater the influence on the hardness, ment. This will minimize the temperature TEMPERING TEMPERATURE ˚F strength and corrosion resistance of the stain- reached by the stem and gate or disc. less trim parts. Standards recommend car- When the valve packing is subjected to tem- FIGURE 1: TEMPERING CHARACTERISTICS OF 410 SS bon steel post weld heat treatment tempera- peratures above 850 degrees Fahrenheit it tures of 1100 degrees Fahrenheit minimum, should be replaced. Our experiments indi- 1150 degrees Fahrenheit minimum for F11, cate in carbon steel valves, that this tempera- 1250 degrees Fahrenheit minimum for F22 ture is not reached during 1150 degrees and for F5. Heat treatments above 1000 Fahrenheit stress relieving. In alloy valves the degrees Fahrenheit can result in softening packing may reach these temperatures and 410 stems, gates and discs, Figure 1. therefore the temperature of the packing Therefore, preparation for post weld heat chamber should be monitored during post treatment should be well planned and imple- weld heat treatment. When heat treating mented to specific procedures. alloy steel valves at temperatures above 1250 degrees Fahrenheit anticipate some Bolted bonnet valves and seal weld bonnet lowering in hardness in gates and discs and valves are best handled differently in post replace the packing as necessary. weld heat treatment. Bolted bonnet valves can be disassembled prior to heat treatment; seal weld bonnet valves cannot. To eliminate FIGURE 2: Technician programming a thermal change in the 13% chromium steel controller to post weld heat treat a small valve in the trim components (other than seat rings) for Vogt Metallurgy and Welding Department Laboratory bolted bonnet valves, the bonnet sub assem- bly can be removed from the valve body 3 Flow Control Division Vogt Valves Post Weld Heat Treatment of Socket Weld Valves TABLE 1. CRITICAL HEAT TREATING AND WELDING TEMPERATURES Critical Temperatures (˚F)* Preheat and Grade Heating Cooling Martensite** Interpass AC1 AC3 AR3 AR1 Start Finish Temperatures Carbon Stl. (.21%C) 1360 1530 1440 1300 800˚F —— ——— 1 1/4 CR - 1/2 MO (F11) 1430 1635 1550 1340 660˚F —— 300 to 600˚F 2 1/4 CR - 1 MO (F22) 1480 1600 1510 1330 740˚F —— 300 to 600˚F 5 CR - 1/2 MO (F5) 1505 1620 1445 1325 865˚F —— 400 to 700˚F *Heating rate 250˚F/hr : Cooling rate 50˚F/hr **Martensite start temperature on cooling from temperatures above the AC1 temperature. Critical temperatures: On heating are AC1 — Lower critical start of transformation AC3 — Upper critical end of transformation Critical temperatures: On cooling are AR3 — Upper critical start of transformation AR1 — Lower critical end of transformation POST WELD HEAT TREATING It is convenient to connect the various element procedure is suggested (Figure 3). CAUTION: Do EQUIPMENT combinations to a multi-outlet power transformer not encapsulate heating elements with insulation such as shown in Figure 2. The on and off action as element overheating and burnout may result. By far the most frequently used method for heat- is controlled by a programmable logic controller. Always provide a surface to which the element ing in post weld heat treatment is electric resis- The alternative is attachment to constant current can dissipate heat. tance heating elements. These elements come in welding machines controlled by a tong ammeter. various shapes, sizes and construction. Those Care in both set-ups must be taken to prevent made with solid wire tend to be rigid and gener- overheating and burnout of the elements. It is ally more adapted to post weld heat treatment of important that the power recommendations of the larger items such as pressure vessel shells, and heating element manufacturer be followed. large pipe joints. Those of stranded wire construc- tion, being flexible, lend themselves to post weld heat treating of small items such as valves.