Euclides: Typically, environmental cracking of 304SS is due to chlorides or caustic. Non environmental cracking can be due to hot-short cracking during welding. The failure analysis results and knowledge of the environment should permit verification of the damage mechanism. Hope this helps! David Hendrix The Hendrix Group Inc.

Euclides Prieto Inter dendrite cracking damage is related to welding problem while welding. Intergranular cracking damage : could be due to chlorides (mostly) if temperature is < 100 deg cent or probability of caustic or a combination of chloride / caustic - if temp of demulsifier and concentration of contaminant is higher. If GE- Betz demulsifier contains other contaminants - not analyzed or discussed due to proprietary compositions, and if your metallurgical analysis confirms this to be inter-dendrite attack, probably it would be related to welding and hot shot cracks. Suggest get details quantitative analysis of the composition of GE-Betz demulsifier. Welding filler wire S.S 308 L chosen is correct for this S.S. 304 L material. As Henry Dendrix had suggested. after your metallurgical analysis results are given, please analyze from these angles to identify the damaging mechanism. Trust this is of help to you C.V.Srinivasan Nishi Engineers Pvt Ltd India May 30, 2006 E-mail: nishi@vsnl.com >Dear all, my post here is related to a failure we detected >in a circunferential weld and base metal inside a vessel >with demulsifier product. The vessel courses are from 304L >SS and the welding was made using ER308L, but we are still >looking if it was due to this service and we get the >confirmation from the metallurgical failure analysis that it >was interdendritic damage. So, does any one know another >failures in welds related to pipe and pressure vessels with >this chemical product from GEBetz? > >Thanks in advance, > >Euclides Prieto, M. Eng. >DCU Unit Inspection Engineer >Ameriven Crude Upgrader >Jose, Venezuela >email: eprieto@ameriven.com