OTC 21973

Corrosion-Resistant Alloy Cladding of Subsea Componets

David R. Berridge, CRA Technologies, Inc.
Copyright 2011, Offshore Technology Conference

This paper was prepared for presentation at the Offshore Technology Conference held in Houston, Texas, USA, 25 May 2011.

This paper was selected for presentation by an OTC program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have not been
reviewed by the Offshore Technology Conference and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect any position of the Offshore Technology Conference, its
officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Offshore Technology Conference is prohibited. Permission to
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What is cladding?
Cladding is defined as the process of protecting one metal by bonding a second metal to its surface.
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Why is cladding utilized in subsea components?
Cladding supplies a combination of desired properties not found in any one metal. A base metal can be selected for cost or
structural properties and another metal added for some special property such as corrosion protection.

For example, a majority of subsea components are designed to meet a minimum yield strength of 75 ksi and are constructed
from low alloy chrome moly steels such as UNS G41300. Although the mechanical properties of 4130 are excellent and it
has been the bell weather base material in the oil and gas industry for the past 25 plus years, it is not known for its corrosion
properties.

On the other hand Alloy 625 (UNS N06625) is known for its excellent corrosion properties, but it only has a yield strength of
60 ksi minimum.

If you combine both alloys, 4130 as the structural component and Alloy 625 cladding as the corrosion component, both
desired characteristics are attained.

The cladding of Subsea production components with Corrosion Resistant Alloys (CRA) is performed to protect the base
material from corrosion, thus assuring the structural integrity of the components over the proposed life of the field.
Considering the cost of recovery, loss of production and the replacement/refurbishment of subsea components, it is prudent to
protect them from corrosion.

What is the difference between cladding, inlay and overlay?
There are no differences; all three terms are used interchangeably, which sometimes creates confusion.

Historically the application of Corrosion Resistant Alloy Cladding has been a viable, cost effective and reliable method of
corrosion protection that has been incorporated into oil and gas components over the past 50 years. Cladding was originally
used to combat crevice corrosion and was applied in ring grooves and seat pockets. Up until approximately 15 years ago the
predominant cladding material was 300 series austenitic stainless steel grades. API 6A
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explicitly details the qualification of
cladding welding procedures, which include acceptable chemical composition and the distance from the base material where
the chemistry should be sampled.

The most common cladding material in the austenitic stainless steel grades is Type 316L. The "L" grades are used to provide
extra corrosion resistance after welding. The letter "L" after a stainless steel type indicates low carbon. To avoid carbide
precipitation in the material when heated in the critical range of 800 F to 1600 F carbon is kept to 0.03% or less.
Coincidently PWHT of cladded components are conducted at the lower end of this temperature range. Carbon precipitates out
of the cladding and combines with the chromium which gathers on the grain boundaries, thus denying the material of
chromium in solution, which in turn promotes corrosion adjacent to the grain boundaries. By controlling the amount of
carbon in the cladding filler material the migration of carbon is minimized.
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In the mid to late 90s the application of Alloy 625 cladding became more prevalent, although still not entirely replacing the
300 series austenitic stainless steel grades. The reason for the change in alloys was to attain a higher level of corrosion
resistance which can be determined by use of formulas to determine a pitting resistance equivalent number or PREN.

One PREN formula for stainless steel is; PREN =%Cr +3.3 x %Mo +16 x %N
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One PREN formula for nickel alloys is; PREN =%Cr +1.5(%Mo +%W +%Nb) +(30 x %N)
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The higher a Pitting Resistance Equivalent Number (PREN), the more resistant the material is to corrosion and pitting. As
can be seen in Table 1, the nickel based Alloy 625 has a PREN of 25% to 50% higher than the Type 316L stainless steel.

Significant alloying additions of chromium, molybdenum and other elements are essential for applications that require a high
level of corrosion resistance. Chromium provides resistance to oxidizing environments, while molybdenum enhances
resistance to reducing environments. A combination of chromium and molybdenum intensifies resistance to localized pitting
and crevice corrosion. Additions of tungsten may augment resistance to localized corrosion. Although nickel provides
resistance to caustic and mild reducing environments, its main advantage in alloys containing high levels of chromium and
molybdenum is to maintain a stable austenitic single phase structure.

The most commonly used test to determine corrosion resistance is that in ASTM G48
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, which measures resistance to a
solution of 6% ferric chloride, at a temperature appropriate for the alloy. If an artificial crevice is added to the sample, the test
measures crevice corrosion resistance rather than pitting resistance.

Although many types of corrosion resistant coatings have been used, i.e. thermal spray, brush plating, etc it has been
determined by the industry that a metallurgical bond is desired and the most robust. Metallurgical bonding is attained through
one of the many different welding processes.

The use of cladding to protect critical surfaces from corrosion and wear is well established. When applying such welding
deposits, the intermixing of the base material and cladding material is critical. This is known as dilution and can be defined
by the ratio of the base material to the cladding material. (Figure 1) It is critical to get a 100% metallurgical bond between the
base and cladding materials, while diluting as little as possible of the base material. This is a fine balancing act and is very
dependent on welding process, welding parameters, percentage of overlap and performing and maintaining a repeatable
process.

Heat input goes hand-in-hand with dilution, the higher the heat input, the higher the dilution and vice versa. Heat input is
determined by the formula shown below;

Heat Input =(Amps X Volts X 60) / Travel Speed =J oules/Inch
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For example: Utilizing the SMAW process with a 1/8 E7018 electrode, 150 A, 26 V and 6.5 IPM Travel Speed.

Heat Input =(150 X 26 X 60) / 6.5 =36,000 Joules/Inch or 36 kilo-Joules/Inch (36.0 kJ/In)

Percentage of overlap is also a key influence for dilution, the less overlap, the higher the dilution and vice versa. (Figure 2)

The fundamentals of the welding processes and their strengths/weaknesses for the application of cladding will be discussed
below.

SMAW Shielded Metal Arc Welding

Is a manual arc welding process that utilizes a consumable electrode coated with flux. An electric current is used to establish
an arc between the electrode and the base material. As the electrode is consumed, the flux coating of the electrode
decomposes which shields the molten weld pool and provides a layer of slag, both of which protect the weld area from
atmospheric contamination.
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Strengths
Reliable and time proven process
Versatility and simplistic
Low initial equipment investment

OTC 21973 3

Weaknesses
Very operator dependent
Not a repeatable process
High defect rates
Cannot be automated
Straight polarity to minimize dilution, but still high, not an optimum process for cladding
High Heat Input Process
Inefficient arc time is 60 to 75%
Costly - filler material waste 20 to 40%

SAW Submerged Arc Welding

Is a machine arc welding process that utilizes a continuously fed consumable solid or tubular (cored) electrode. An electric
current is used to establish an arc between the electrode and the base material. The electrode is fed into the molten weld pool
while being submerged under a blanket of flux .When molten, the flux shields the molten weld pool and provides a layer of
slag, both of which protect the weld area from atmospheric contamination, as well as preventing spatter and shielding the arc
so a shaded welding lens is not required.
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Strengths
Reliable and time proven process
Efficient arc time is 85 to 95%
Cost effective - filler material waste less than 2%
Low Defect Rates
High deposition rate
Medium initial equipment investment
Can be automated

Weaknesses
High dilution, not an optimum process for cladding
Operator dependent
High Heat Input Process
Mainly used on outside diameters, cannot weld small internal diameters

GMAW Gas Metal Arc Welding

Is a semi-automatic or machine arc welding process that utilizes a continuously fed consumable electrode and an inert
shielding gas. An electric current is used to establish an arc between the electrode and the base material. The electrode is fed
into the molten weld pool and shielded with inert gas which protects the weld area from atmospheric contamination.
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Strengths
Efficient arc time is 85 to 95%
Cost effective - filler material waste less than 2%
Low initial equipment investment
High deposition rate
Can be automated (Considerable equipment investment)

Weaknesses
Very operator dependent
Not a repeatable process
High defect rates historically 40-60% (Even when automated!!!)
High Heat Input Process
High dilution, not an optimum process for cladding

GMAW-P Gas Metal Arc Welding - Pulsed

Is a semi-automatic or machine arc welding process that utilizes a continuously fed consumable electrode and an inert
shielding gas. An electric current is used to establish an arc between the electrode and the base material. The electrode is fed
4 OTC 21973
into the molten weld pool and shielded with inert gas which protects the weld area from atmospheric contamination. The
difference between GMAW and GMAW-P is the pulsing of the current which alternates between the high energy (peak)
current and a lower energy (background) current. The benefit is that it produces desirable fusion characteristics while
considerably reducing the heat input. Also the new welding power sources have the ability to manipulate the wave form to
fine tune the process further.
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Strengths
Efficient arc time is 85 to 95%
Low Heat Input Process
Low dilution, an optimum process for cladding
Cost effective - filler material waste less than 2%
Low initial equipment investment
Can be automated (Considerable equipment investment)
A repeatable process with low defect rates (When automated)

Weaknesses
Operator dependent when not automated
No long term experience with cladding subsea components, but appears to be an excellent process with good
prospects

GTAW Gas Tungsten Arc Welding

Is an arc welding process that utilizes a non-consumable tungsten electrode. An electric current is used to establish an arc
between the electrode and the base material. A filler material is fed into the molten weld pool and shielded with inert gas
which protects the weld area from atmospheric contamination. The process can be manual, semi-automatic or automated.
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Strengths
Efficiency dependent upon automation arc time is 40 to 95%
Low initial equipment investment
Can be automated (Considerable equipment investment)
A repeatable process with low defect rates (When automated)

Weaknesses
High Heat Input Process
Medium to high dilution, not an optimum process for cladding
Cost effectiveness dependent upon automation - filler material waste up to 10%
Very operator dependent when not automated

GTAW-P Gas Tungsten Arc Welding - Pulsed

Is an arc welding process that utilizes a non-consumable tungsten electrode. An electric current is used to establish an arc
between the electrode and the base material. A filler material is fed into the molten weld pool and shielded with inert gas
which protects the weld area from atmospheric contamination. The difference between GTAW and GTAW-P is the pulsing
of the current which alternates between the high energy (peak) current and a lower energy (background) current. The benefit
is that it produces desirable fusion characteristics while considerably reducing the heat input. The process is normally utilized
as a machine or automated process.
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Strengths
Efficient arc time is 85 to 95%
Low Heat Input Process
Low dilution, an optimum process for cladding
Cost effective - filler material waste less than 2%
15 +year track record with this process
A repeatable process with very low defect rates

Weaknesses
High initial equipment investment for automated equipment
Lower deposition rate than other welding processes
OTC 21973 5

PAW Plasma Arc Welding

Is an arc welding process similar to GTAW, the key difference is that PAW positions the non-consumable tungsten electrode
within the body of the torch separating the plasma arc from the shielding gas envelope. The plasma is forced through a
precisely bored copper nozzle which constricts the arc and the plasma exits the orifice at high velocity and temperature. A
filler material is fed into the molten weld pool and shielded with inert gas which protects the weld area from atmospheric
contamination.
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Strengths
Efficient arc time is 85 to 95%
Electrode contamination minimized
Columnar-shaped arc, not spread out like GTAW
Can be a low heat input process
Can be low dilution, an optimum process for cladding
Cost effective - filler material waste less than 2%
Can be a repeatable process with very low defect rates
High travel speed and deposition rate

Weaknesses
High initial equipment investment for automated equipment
Very concentrated arc, can be very high dilution
Used for hard facing rock bits, but little history with cladding

LBW Laser Beam Welding

The laser beam is targeted on the surface of the part to be welded and the concentration of light energy is converted into
thermal energy. The surface of the part begins to melt and filler material is fed into the molten weld pool and shielded with
inert gas which protects the weld area from atmospheric contamination.
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Strengths
Efficiency dependent upon automation arc time is 90 to 95%
Can be low dilution, an optimum process for cladding
Must be automated
A repeatable process with low defect rates
Low heat input process
Small heat affected zone

Weaknesses
High initial equipment investment
Skilled operator required to operate automated equipment
Position restricted when using powders

We have discussed the many types of welding processes utilized for cladding, along with their strengths and weaknesses.
Although GMAW-P, GTAW-P and LBW are all viable welding processes for cladding, we will concentrate on the dominant
welding process used today to clad subsea components, which is GTAW-P.

There are two types of GTAW-P processes, hot wire and cold wire. This is referring to whether or not the welding filler
material is electrically resistance heated before it reaches the molten weld pool. Utilizing the cold wire method has a few
disadvantages; first when feeding a cold wire into the molten weld pool it has a tendency to quench or shrink the weld
pool, which makes it smaller and challenging to direct the wire where required. Secondly it restricts the amount of filler metal
that can be fed into the molten weld pool, thus lowering the deposition rate. The hot wire method is much more robust
since the filler material is electrically resistance heated before it reaches the molten weld pool, so the weld pool does not
shrink and more filler material can be added which increases the deposition rate.
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When the Hot Wire GTAW-P cladding process is automated, it is a very repeatable process with little to no defects. The
defect rate is critical since most subsea components are constructed from Low Alloy Steel (LAS) and require a Post Weld
Heat Treat (PWHT) or temper after the components are clad to reduce the hardness in the Heat Affected Zone (HAZ). With
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each PWHT cycle the base material mechanical properties are reduced by 7 to 9%. Normally most subsea components can be
subjected to two to three PWHT cycles, although this is dependent upon the original mechanical properties of a given
component.

The automated equipment utilized in the Hot Wire GTAW-P cladding process controls the amperage, voltage, travel speed,
overlap distance and wire feed speed with a certain amount of operator override, which can be controlled be each owner of
the equipment. With these parameters controlled this becomes a very repeatable cladding process.

The Hot Wire GTAW-P process is the predominant cladding process used worldwide in the manufacture of subsea
components. The strengths and weaknesses have been discussed above. The only negative connotation associated with this
process is that it is a slow process. But considering the quality and cost benefits, it is the authors opinion that it will be some
time before this process is replaced with an alternative cladding process.




UNS SPEC TYPE or ALLOY Cr Mo W Nb N PREN
S31603 316L 16.0-18.0 2.0-3.0 N/A N/A - 22.6-27.9
N06625 625 20.0-23.0 8.0-10.0 - 3.15-4.15 - 36.7-39.2

Table 1






Figure 1






Figure 2








OTC 21973 7
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3
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4
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5
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6
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7
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8
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11
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12
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13
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14
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15
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16
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