Damage mechanism from American Petroleum Institute (API)

The damage mechanism analysis is done through American Petroleum Institute (API). This standard is established to describe damage mechanism affecting equipments in refining and petrochemical industries.
This standard contains guidance for the consideration of:

- Information on damage mechanism that can affect process equipments
- Assist regarding the types and extent the damages can be expected
- Selection of effective inspection methods

I learned there are few types of alloys that are used widely in refining and petrochemical industries. Some are:

- Ferritic: Type of metallurgical structure normally found in carbon and low alloy steels.
- Martensitic: Heat treatment and welding followed by rapid cooling can produce this structure in carbon and
  low alloy steels.
- Austenite: solid solution of iron with alloying elements
- Pearlite: structure composed of alpha ferrite and cementite that occurs in some steel and cast irons.

I did some surveys in API about the general damage mechanisms in all type of industries. I mention few below to give a clear idea about what I did:
Engineering Damage Mechanics: Ductile, Creep, Fatigue and Brittle Failures

1.Mechanical and Metallurgical failure

a. Strain Aging: Damage found in older vintage carbon steel under the combined effects of deformation and
    aging at an intermediate temperature

- This result is increase in hardness and strength with a reduction in ductility and toughness
- Equipment with crack is more susceptible to strain aging where when it exposed to intermediate
  temperatures, the zone of deformed material become hardened and less ductile.

2. Uniform or Localized Loss of Thickness

b. Galvanic Corrosion:
 Continuum Damage Mechanics and Numerical Applications (Advanced Topics in Science and Technology in China)

-It is a form of corrosion that occurs at the junction of dissimilar metals when they are joined together in a
  suitable electrolyte.
-This corrosion mainly happens when a fluid that conducts current are in contact with two different materials.

• I have been assigned to read about the list of equipments that are used in Magtymguly collector Riser Platform A (MCR-A). Some of them are:

a. Desander:
Desanders and desilters are drilling rig equipment with a set of hydrocyclones that
separates sand and silt from the drilling fluid.

b. Separators:
A for petroleum production is a large drum designed to separate
production fluids into their constituent components of oil, gas and water