Will Heat Treating 304 SS help mitigate corrosion forming in the weld/HAZ in piping in SO3 Service?

[jeevesme]

Hey guys, I have a question that I cannot find a direct answer to and thought you guys may be able to help me.

We have some 16" 304ss piping that we have replaced 3 years ago because the welds/HAZ were corroding and causing leaks. We are now in the process of replacing the piping yet again because of this same issue. Our sister plants simply have a 1 year PM to replace it. My question is, if we heat treat the welds, will we gain corrosion resistance (assuming the welds were properly welded)?

We typically use 308 to weld 304 to 304. Would we gain anything by using 316 or an incoloy?

Thanks in advance!

 

We do have a materials engineer

Beware materials engineers posing as welding engineers or failure analysts.

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts."