L'air Liquide, Soci&#xe9;t&#xe9; Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Proc&#xe9;d&#xe9;s Georges Claude

Jader Furtado

Daniel Gary

Pascal Del-Gallo

Sophie Wastiaux

Anna Fraczkiewicz

Karolina Maminska

The invention relates to a microstructure of an alloy for a tube for reformers, having an austenitic matrix structure, characterised in that: i) primary micrometric precipitates in the form of MC-type carbides, where M=Fe, Ni or Cr, and/or M(C,N)-type carbides, where M==Nb or Ti, are formed during the solidification of the alloy; ii) secondary nanometric precipitates in the form of MC-type carbides, where M=Fe, Ni or Cr and/or M(C,N)-type carbides, where M==Nb or Ti, are formed during the activation of the tube; and iii) between 0.1 and 0.3% of NiSi7Nb-type intermetallic precipitates is formed during the use of the tube.

Method for producing an alloy for a reforming tube

The invention relates to a method for replacing tubes in a hydrocarbon-vapor reforming unit, that comprises before launching any new production campaign: measuring the expansion of the tube diameters; taking X-ray photographs of the tubes; realizing replicas of the surfaces of the tubes; wherein a tube is replaced when it fulfills at least one of the following conditions; the diameter expansion is higher than 3%; the X-ray photograph includes at least one crack; the replica shows a sufficient thermal ageing and/or creep deformation.

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Andresy, France

Jader Furtado