Why are some suppliers reluctant to produce duplex stainless-steel valves that are compliant with NACE MR0103?
Duplex stainless steels are those that are chemically balanced to provide a target microstructure of 50% austenite phase and 50% ferrite phase. Duplex stainless-steel valves required to meet NACE MR0103 will almost always be installed in a sour, corrosive, chloride-containing environment, so it is essential the material provides optimized resistance to sulfide stress cracking, chloride stress corrosion cracking, chloride pitting and general corrosion. The task group that created the NACE MR0103 document, “Materials Resistant to Sulfide Stress Cracking in Corrosive Petroleum Refining Environments,” recognized that microstructure is a key factor influencing the properties of duplex stainless steel. They also recognized that the microstructure is influenced strongly by chemistry and by heating and cooling during processing of the material. As a result, NACE MR0103 includes some very stringent requirements for duplex stainless steels, especially with regard to welding. Since most valve bod
