API 571

Brittle Fracture (4.2.7)

1.

A brittle fracture:
a)
is caused by stress cycles.
b)
is always the result of thermal stresses.
c)
grow very rapidly with minimum deformation prior to failure.
d)
grows slowly and is dependent on time and stress.

2.

Which of the following materials is least affected by brittle fracture?

a)
Carbon steel
b)
Chromes
c)
300 series stainless steel
d)
400 series stainless steel
e)
All stainless steels

3.

ASME Section VIII had few limitations concerning brittle fracture prior to:
a)
1955.
b)
1962.
c)
1973.
d)
1987.

4.

What test is used to determine a materials toughness?

a)
Charpy impact test
b)
Guided bend test
c)
Metallography
d)
Tension test
e)
Physical fitness test

5.

Which of the following is not a critical factor that contributes to a brittle fracture?
a)
The materials fracture toughness
b)
Maximum operating temperature
c)
Stress concentration at a flaw
d)
Magnitude of the residual stresses

6.

Most brittle failures occur:

a)
below the impact transition temperature.
b)
on thinner materials.
c)
on clean steel.
d)
while in operation at elevated temperatures.

7.

Most brittle failures appear as:

a)
branched cracking.
b)
intergranular cracking.
c)
ductile tears.
d)
cleveage.

8.

Which of the following is not a method used to prevent brittle fracture?

a)
Thorough inspections
b)
Strict controls on selecting construction materials
c)
Post weld heat treatment
e)
Controlling minimum operating temperatures

Erosion/Erosion Corrosion (4.2.14)

1.

2.

3.

The removal of surface material by impacting materials is called:

a)
erosion.
b)
erosion corrosion.
c)
erosion or erosion corrosion.
d)
IPC (imparting particle corrosion).
The removal of a materials protective scale by impacting materials is called:
a)
erosion.
b)
erosion-corrosion.
c)
erosion or erosion-corrosion.
d)
IPRSC (imparting particle removal of scale corrosion).
Which of the following is not a primary factor contributing to erosion?

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Impact angle (angle that impacting particles strike metal)

Size of impacting particles
Velocity of impacting particles
Density of impacting particles
Corrosiveness of the environment

4.

Which of the following is not a primary factor contributing to erosion-corrosion?

a)
Impact angle (angle that impacting particles strike metal)
b)
Tensile strength of the metal
c)
Velocity of impacting particles
d)
Corrosiveness of the environment

5.

A prime location for erosion is:

a)
in catalyst piping.
b)
downstream of a gate valve.
c)
any superheated steam piping.
d)
upstream of a pump.

Thermal Fatigue (4.2.9)

1.
Thermal fatigue is caused by:
a)
cyclic stresses that come from temperature variations.
b)
long term operation at elevated temperatures.
c)
excessive thermal growth.
d)
hours of physical activity during a hot summer day.
2.

Time to failure by thermal fatigue is primarily affected by:

a)
magnitude of stress and operating temperature.
b)
magnitude of stress and number of cycles.
c)
carbon content in material and operating temperature.
d)
carbon content in material and number of cycles.

3.

Thermal fatigue becomes of concern if the temperature swings exceed:

a)
50 oF.
b) 100 oF.
c) 200 oF.
d) 400 oF.

4.

Which of the following is not a prime candidate for thermal fatigue?

a)
Coke drums
b)
Steam actuated soot blowers
c)
Mix points of hot and cold streams
d)
600 psig steam piping
e)
Welds joining materials having different coefficients of expansion

5.

Which of the following is not a primary initiating point for thermal fatigue?
a)
Notches
b)
Rounded pits
c)
Nozzle-to-shell welds
d)
Weld toes

6.

Thermal fatigue cracks usually:

a)
initiate on the surface of the component.
b)
initiate in the subsurface of the component.
c)
grow very rapidly (at the speed of sound in the material).
d)
are very tight and narrow.

7.

Many thermal fatigue cracks are filled with:

a)
chlorides.
b)
hydroslime.
c)
oxides.
d)
sulfides.
Ways to prevent thermal fatigue include reducing stress concentrators by making _______________ transitions at
places where the wall thickness changes.

8.

Atmosphere Corrosion (4.3.2)

1.
Atmospheric corrosion is of greatest concern in:
a)
dry climates in rural locations.

b)
c)
d)

dry climates in industrial locations.

wet climates in rural locations.
wet climates in industrial locations.

2.

Which of the following materials is least affected by atmospheric corrosion?

a)
Carbon steel
b)
Chromes
c)
Stainless steels
d)
Copper alloyed with aluminum

3.

List the approximate corrosion rates for the following conditions.

a)
Dry rural environments
__1___ mpy
b)
Inland locations with moderate humidity or rainfall
__1-3_ mpy
c)
Industrial environments with airborne acids or sulfur compounds __5-10_ mpy
d)
Marine environments
__20__ mpy

4.

Which of the following does not increases the likelihood of atmospheric corrosion?
a)
Bird poop
b)
Increasing annual rainfalls
c)
Locations where moisture is trapped
d)
Increasing operating pressures
e)
Increasing amounts of airborne contaminates

5.

The best way to prevent failures by atmospheric corrosion is to:

a)
have an aggressive inspection program.
b)
reduce airborne particulates.
c)
install and maintain appropriate coatings.
d)
shoot all birds that cross the plant fence.
e)
build new petrochemical facilities in a dry desert.

6)

Atmospheric corrosion:
a)
can cause either uniform or localized wall loss.
b)
always causes localized wall loss.
c)
always causes uniform wall loss.
d)
is best detected using profile RT.

Mechanical Fatigue (4.2.16)

1.
Which of the following materials are affected by mechanical fatigue cracking?
a)
Only carbon steel
b)
Only carbon steel and chromes
c)
Only carbon steel, and high nickel alloys
d)
All materials
2.

Mechanical fatigue is caused by:

a)
cyclic stresses occurring over a long period of time.
b)
higher than average stresses at high temperatures.
c)
constant stresses occurring at low temperatures.
d)
cyclic operating conditions of bird poop then rain, bird poop then rain, etc.

3.

Fatigue will not occur in carbon steel if stresses are below the:
a)
transition limit.
b)
endurance limit.
c)
hardening limit.
d)
speed limit.

4.

Circle which condition contributes to mechanical fatigue

a)
Temperature:
Low Temps
b)
Steel Properties:
Dirty Steel
c)
Grain structure:
Fine-grain
d)
Surface Condition:
Notches
e)
Process ph:
High ph

5.

Which material does not have an endurance limit?

a)
Non-normalized carbon steel
b)
Normalized carbon steel
c)
Stainless steel
d)
Titanium

High Temps
Clean Steel
Coarse-grain
Smooth surface
Low ph

Not a factor
Not a factor
Not a factor
Not a factor
Not a factor

6.

The endurance limit is usually about:

a)
10-20% of a materials ultimate tensile strength.
b)
40-50% of a materials ultimate tensile strength
c)
10-20% of a materials yield strength.
d)
40-50% of a materials yield strength.
e)
half way up the ladder of a 150 column (tower).

7.

Inspecting for high-cycle fatigue can be difficult since:

a)
the cracks are extremely tight.
b)
predicting the location of cracking is difficult.
c)
once the crack begins, only a few cycles are needed for the crack to lead to failure.
d)
often the equipment is vibrating making non-destructive evaluations difficult.

8.

Mechanical fatigue can cause cracks that initiate from the surface and often form a:
a)
clam shell appearance.
b)
snail shell appearance.
c)
turtle shell appearance.
d)
Shell Oil shell appearance.
e)
taco shell appearance.

Sulfidation (4.4.2)
1.
Which of the following is not a major factor associated with corrosion by sulfidation?
a)
Alloy composition
b)
Operating pressure
c)
Operating temperature
d)
Sulfur content
2.

Sulfidation of iron-based alloys usually begins at about:

a)
150 oF.
b)
250 oF.
c)
500 oF.
d)
1100 oF.

3.

Resistance to sulfidation increases as the:

a)
chromium content in the material increases.
b)
nickel content in the material increases.
c)
materials tensile strength decreases.
d)
materials tensile strength increases.

4.

Sulfidation is primarily caused by:

a)
impacting particles.
b)
sulfur compounds decomposing at higher temperatures.
c)
sulfur compounds being created in the FCCU (Cat Cracking Unit).
d)
elemental sulfur collecting in stagnate areas, e.g. dead legs.
e)
operators failing to adequately control the ph of sulfur streams.

5.

Sulfidation usually creates:

a)
uniform corrosion.
b)
isolated pitting.
c)
intergranular cracking.
d)
transgranular cracking.
e)
hard and brittle zones.
f)
inspection nightmares.

Boiler Water Condensate Corrosion (4.3.5)

1.
Which of the following is not a major factor associated with boiler water condensate corrosion?
a)
Operating pressure
b)
Oxygen content
c)
Carbon dioxide content
d)
Process ph
e)
Temperature
2.

Corrosion from oxygen in boiler feed water usually creates:

a)
uniform corrosion.
b)
isolated pitting.
c)
intergranular cracking.

d)
e)

transgranular cracking.
hard and brittle zones.

3.

Protection in a boiler from boiler feed water corrosion is accomplished by:

a)
injecting chlorines to kill microbiological bugs.
b)
injecting caustic to lower the ph to < 4.0.
c)
lowering solids content in boiler feed water to less than 50 ppm.
d)
maintaining a protective corrosion layer of magnetite (Fe3O4).

4.

What treatment is used to prevent boiler feed water corrosion?

a)
Oxide scavengers are added to process
b)
Oxygen scavengers are added to process
c)
Sulfide scavengers are added to process
d)
Sulfur scavengers are added to process

5.

What method is most used to assure boiler feed water corrosion is not occurring?
a)
Spot UT readings at turbulent areas
b)
Profile RT at turbulent areas
c)
Profile RT at stagnant areas
d)
Laboratory analysis of boiler feedwater
Answer Key

Brittle Fracture (4.2.7)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

c
c
d
a
b
a
d
a

Erosion/Erosion-Corrosion (4.2.14)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

a
b
e
b
a

Thermal Fatigue (4.2.9)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

a
b
c
d
b
a
c
smooth

Atmospheric Corrosion (4.3.2)

1.
2.
3a.
3b.
3c.
3d.
4.
5.
6.

d
c
< 1 mpy
1-3 mpy
5-10 mpy
20 mpy
d
c
a

Mechanical Fatigue (4.2.16)

1.
2.
3.
4a.
4b.
4c.
4d.
4e.
5.
6.
7.
8.

d
a
b
Not a factor
Dirty steel
Coarse grain
Notches
Not a factor
c
b
c
a

Sulfidation (4.4.2)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

b
c
a
b
a

Boiler Water Condensate (4.3.5)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

a
b
d
b
d