Mechanical and Metallurgical Failures

Mechanical and metallurgical failures in Refinery Industry - API 571 damage mechanismDamage Mechanism is a general term used to describe mechanical or chemical processes that result in equipment damage or material degradation. These can range from corrosion, to cracking, to heat damage, and everything in between.When assessing damage mechanisms, one must take into account the current state of the equipment, as well as any potential damage the mechanism may cause later. Equipment’s susceptibility to a particular damage mechanism is affected by a number of variables, including materials of construction, process fluids, operating conditions, external environment, etc. A good understanding of the variety of damage mechanisms that exist is a must for any mechanical integrity program.A thorough damage mechanisms review is essential for creating an effective inspection strategy. Once damage mechanisms and morphology are understood, inspection strategists can use this information to select inspection methods with the highest probability of detecting, characterizing, and measuring potential damage. Furthermore, inspection intervals can be established using industry codes and standards such as API 510, 570, 653, API RP 579 for fitness-for-service, and API 580 and 581 for risk-based inspection.