Stress Corrosion Cracking Question?

[dmfa200]

I am looking at pictures of a 60 barrel fermenter for a friend.

What I am seeing is what looks to be stress corrosion cracks at the weld seams on the external jacket of the vessel.

They seem to have started from corrosion pitting.

The jacket is non-structural.

My question is...

Can these cracks be stopped, and if not will they propagate indefinitely?

My friend is interested in buying this fermenter.

Is it worth considering?

 

[stanweld]

Does the jacket hold pressure at elevated temperature? What is the temperature?

 

[stanier]

If you dont have the manufacturers data book which shows specificaally the materials used and any post weld treatment then it is risk buying this unit. Any repairs may themselves fail depending upon the operating duty.

Cutting out and rewelding the area of the cracks may solve your problem or may just set it up to be repeated.

You have not provided any clues as to why stress corrosion cracking occurred in the first place. Is the material an austenitic stainless steel exposed to high chloride containing water? If so at what temperature and concentration.

Note there are records of stress corrosion cracking at ambient tempratures. refer

http://www.nidi.org.

"Sharing knowledge is the way to immortality"
His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

http://waterhammer.hopout.com.au/

 

[BigInch]

A big problem for bio units. You'd better look inside too.

From "BigInch's Extremely simple theory of everything."