Challenges

Stress corrosion cracking with no remaining wall thickness

Benefits

One-year life extension delivered by local, trained personnel

Scope

ICR’s South African partner, Rhokana, was engaged to repair the Stripping Column Condenser End Dome at a South African refinery. The stainless steel dome, with an outer diameter of 895 mm, had suffered stress corrosion cracking (SCC), resulting in a projected remaining wall thickness of 0 mm.

ICR provided the engineering design and technical support, developing a one-year engineered composite repair to allow the client to safely defer replacement until the following year. The repair was designed to withstand the full applied load and modelled against a through-wall defect comprising a fully circumferential slot measuring 2,812 mm × 25 mm.

Solution

Rhokana completed the repair using 10 layers of Technowrap™ 2K and high temperature resin. Heat was applied to accelerate curing, enabling the repair to be completed in just two days, with ICR providing technical oversight and support.

Results