Failure of Stainless Steel 304L Water Tank due to Intergranular Corrosion Caused by Weld Defects and Chlorides

The paper presents the results of capacitive equipment failure analysis. The product was operated at elevated temperatures in an environment containing chlorides. The incident is interesting because it contains most possible defects and violations of technological processes for this type of equipment, which, as a result, led to equipment failure. The work investigated the defects of the welded joint of stainless steel AISI 304L from which the container was made, metallographic studies of the destroyed zones and tests for intergranular corrosion were carried out. It is shown that the main cause of fracture is associated with the formation of intergranular cracks. Based on the results of the work, recommendations were proposed for eliminating subsequent destruction