Thermal strengthening of seamless steel pipes grades 13KhFA for oil and gas industry

Abstract

The present study focuses on grade 13KhFА steel alloyed with chromium and vanadium for the production of seamless pipes. The pipes were subjected to heat treatment throughout their body and along their entire length. They were fed individually into the furnace, end-to-end, consecutively. The heat treatment furnace was fueled by natural gas. Cooling of the pipes from the quenching temperature was achieved using water in a jet cooling multi-hole device (sprayer). This was followed by high self-tempering due to the heat retained after exiting the quenching furnace. Following quenching and high tempering, the structure of the 13KhFА steel on the surface of the pipe consisted of a mixture of ferrite and carbides with a granular carbide morphology (tempered sorbite). This structure enhances the corrosion resistance of the steel and provides an optimal combination of strength and toughness. The hardening temperature for seamless pipes made of 13KhFА steel was set within the range of 915–920 °C, while the tempering temperature was maintained at 720–730 °C. This careful selection of quenching and tempering temperatures within the specified limits makes it possible to obtain an improved structure of the 13KhFА steel. Keywords: pipe steel; thermal hardening; economically alloyed steel; regulatory standards; corrosion resistance.