piping failure 1

[maytag]

Is there a direct connection relating pipe failure(esp. welds in carbon)to increase in temperature. I thought I had read a thread about this on one of the forums-I've searched for it and have either missed it or dreamed the whole thing up. I work in a large minimill and our glycol comsumption (hydraulic system medium)always goes up in the summer months. Thanks for any input. Maytag

 

[metengr]

Yes, carbon steel piping, and welded carbon steel piping that is exposed to service temperatures at or above about 850 deg F will degrade over time. The damage mechanism requires sustained temperature for many tens of thousands of hours; the damage mechanism is called graphitization.

 

[MikeHalloran]

A hydraulic system leak of a fixed size will flow, i.e., leak, more in summer months when the hydraulic fluid temperature goes up with ambient air temperature, just because of reduced viscosity.





Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[JStephen]

Chemical reactions generally (maybe always) work faster at increased temperature, so things should corrode more when it's hot as well. Another possibility is temperature stresses in constrained pipe due to increased temperature, this can occasionally buckle roads and railroad tracks.