H2Tech - Q2 2021 - 47

CHEMICAL AND FERTILIZER PRODUCTION
ment. Using good welding procedures and
filler metals to avoid porosity and lack of
fusion are helpful, as well. Performing a
cold embrittlement fracture assessment,
as outlined in API 579-1/ASME Fitness
for Service FFS-1, Part 3, or completing
a fracture mechanics assessment per API
579-1/ASME Fitness for Service FFS-1,
Part 9 for cracks found during inspection
can help mitigate brittle fracture.
Finally, for operators and process engineers, use of operating procedures and
temperature controls to keep equipment
above the DBTT when pressurized are
critical to preventing brittle fracture.
Recommendations. Hydrogen tech-

nology is expected to play a particularly
important role in the future of renewable
and alternative forms of energy. Ammonia technology and the NH3 process are
expected to see substantial growth to accommodate existing technologies, as well
as new technology currently in development. With the growth and expansion
of the ammonia cycle and the creation
of new facilities to increase production,
ensuring safe operation and mitigating
hazards is essential.
Safe equipment design, operation and
maintenance of NH3 equipment and assets is a collaborative effort between
ammonia process engineers, mechanical
design and asset integrity engineers and
materials engineers. For mechanical and
materials engineers, it is important to
have a collaborative understanding of the
ammonia process parameters-e.g., operating pressures, temperatures, chemical
compositions of process fluids, etc., to
make informed materials selection decisions. For the process engineer, it is important to have a general understanding
of how decisions to change process parameters during a revamp to improve efficiency, for example, may impact the assets
of a particular material of construction.
Implementation of the right programs
and bringing in knowledgeable technical
experts with experience in the hazards
and threats within this industry are essential to ensuring that accurate assessments are completed and that safety, longevity and proper mitigation of hazards
are guaranteed. To this end, the authors'
consultancy created a joint industry program ( JIP) with numerous participants
that are operators in the ammonia industry. The 2020-2021 JIP focuses on

improving safety and reliability in the
ammonia and fertilizer industry. The first
year of the JIP included the identification
of damage mechanisms and mitigation
options for plant equipment in the ammonia process. The overall plan for the
JIP provides for subsequent-year studies
that will address other safety and reliability issues, including damage mechanisms
and mitigation options for other fertilizer
industry processes including urea, nitric
acid and ammonium nitrate.22
LITERATURE CITED
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and Related Facilities Symposium, 2019.
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equipment-Reducing the risk of failure " Safety in
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equipment in the refining industry, " 3rd Ed., March
2020.
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plants " 8th Ed., 2016.
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Hester, M. W. and D. J. Benac, " Reducing the risk of
HTHA failures, " World Fertilizer Magazine, October
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mitigation options, " World Fertilizer, 2020.
16

SEAN BERG works in BakerRisk's
San Antonio, Texas office as part
of the Investigation and Materials
Group. He has a background in
both mechanical engineering
and metallurgical and materials
engineering, and is a registered
professional engineer practicing in both disciplines.
As a university professor, he has taught university
coursework and conducted research in each of these
areas of engineering. With 10 yr of experience as an
engineer, Dr. Berg has expertise in structural and
mechanical integrity of fixed and rotating equipment,
fitness-for-service assessments, failure analysis of
plant and refinery equipment, high-pressure hightemperature (HPHT) drilling and production systems,
and forensic investigation of property damage and
determining origin and cause of losses resulting
from fire, water, weather and external forces.
Dr. Berg is also a specialist in batteries and battery
materials, with in-depth expertise in battery
energy storage systems and associated hazards.
DANIEL J. BENAC works at
BakerRisk's San Antonio,
Texas office in the Materials
Engineering Group. As a registered
professional metallurgical engineer
in the state of Texas, Mr. Benac
is a specialist in structural integrity
and material issues, failure analysis of plant
equipment, materials evaluations and materials
selection for designs. He has more than 35 yr of
experience investigating and solving structural
integrity problems for plant equipment.
DOROTHY SHAFFER is a subject
matter resource for ammoniarelated production and terminal
facilities. She has 20 yr with a major
ammonia producer in production,
process engineering, project
engineering and as Director of
Risk and Reliability, and 15 yr of consulting work on
mechanical integrity programs, process safety and risk
evaluation work. Mrs. Shaffer's background bridges
gaps among process, operations and mechanical
integrity programs in ammonia-related fields.
H2Tech | Q2 2021

H2Tech - Q2 2021

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