Cost-Effective Use in the use of Stainless Steel in Sugar Industry by Nav bharat tubes
The fight against corrosion in equipment used in the sugar processing process was extremely difficult up until the carbon steel alloy was substituted with 12 % chromium (12Cr) ferritic stainless steels . This alloy extends the life of the equipment in production and also reduces needed maintenance. The chromium alloying gives better corrosion resistance and endurance when compared with carbon steel. Furthermore, the 12Cr steel has a higher mechanical strength and superior abrasion resistance over conventional mild steel, making it an ideal engineering material for the sugar industry.
With no costly Nickel alloying, ferritic stainless steels aren’t as expensive as carbon steels. When you consider the total life Cycle costs, ongoing maintenance and replacement costs of carbon steels are significantly more expensive than stainless steels. As time passes more investors will choose stainless steel 12Cr over carbon steel for sugar upstream manufacturing equipment e.g. cane tables and cane carriers.
In the case of juice production and downstream applications where more resistance to corrosion than stainless steel with 12Cr as the base is required, most users opt for austenitic stainless steels like type 304, or the 316 . In addition to being more resistant to corrosion these austenitic stainless steels are also easy to form and weld. However the strength of their mechanics is less than stainless steels with 12Cr, and a higher proportion of alloying increases the cost of investment at first in addition.
Chemical composition, PRE calculations (PRE=%Cr + 3.3%Mo + 16%N) are calculated using Outokumpu’s typical values. **Values are based on ASTM A240.
In more harsh environments an alternative to types 304 or 316 could be Duplex stainless steels. Duplex stainless steel features the dual microstructure of ferrite as well as austenite. It combines the top qualities: toughness, high abrasion resistance and corrosion resistance. Due to these advantages Duplex grades are becoming seen as a viable option from a total life cycle cost perspective.
Additionally, there is an austenitic-based counterpart called Supra 316plus that has an alloying process that is more cost-effective, and includes nitrogen, which has higher resistance to corrosion than standard type 316 and has similar or slightly better resistance to corrosion.
In conclusion, stainless steel isn’t just one alloy. There are many alloys that are available with the advantages of a small number are discussed in this article. Nav bharat tubes will help you determine the most cost-effective option for your particular application using our extensive product range made of stainless steel. Cost savings of significant magnitude can be made by avoiding the need for maintenance and extending the service time.
Corrosion is a part of life in sugar mills as well as refineries. In India losses caused by the corrosion of sugar mills is estimated at around $250 million per year. This paper discusses the corrosion issue that has been studied within sugar factories in the Indian sugar industry and recommends the use of low-cost grades of stainless steels for equipment, instead of the typically used mild steels or the expensive stainless steels. The cost of life as well as the challenges in operating conditions in the sugar industry were examined.
Recent Comments