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Post Weld Heat Treatment

Procedure
DOC REF: ISB/PWHT

Issued on: 1st January 2009

__________________
Binu Joseph
General Manager

This document is issued for used by IBRAHIM BIN S. AL BRAHIM EST. (ISB)

Neither the whole nor any part of this document may be reproduced in
any form without prior written consent of ISB

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POST WELD HEAT TREATMENT PROCEDURE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section and Description Page

1.0 SCOPE........................................................... .................................... 3

2.0 REFERENCES................................................... ................................... 3
3.0 PERSON HANDLING THE PWHT ACTIVITIES ...................................... 3
4.0 DESCRIPTION OF REQUIRED EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS ..................3
5.0 SURFACE CONDITIONS............................. ....................................... 4
6.0 METHOD.................................................. .......................................... 4
7.0 BASIC REQUIREMENT TO CARRYOUT PWHT AND THE
METHODOLOGY... ............................................................................ 4
8.0 PWHT (Post Weld Heat Treatment) ……………………….……………7
9.0 PRECAUTIONS ……………………………………………………….…….8
10.0 DOCUMENTATIONS ……………………………………………………....8
11.0 REPORT ……………………………………………………………………..8
12.0 RECORDS …………………………………………………………………..8

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1.0 Scope
١١ This procedure states explicitly in detail the minimum requirement for the
external load, Post Weld Heat Treatment (PWHT) shall be carried out by the
electrical resistance method for vessels, nozzles, pipes & exchanges.
٢٠ References
The following documents shall be referred to along with this procedure.
a) ASME Boils & Pressure Vessels code section VIII. Dir.1
b) ANSI/ASMI code for pressure piping B31 series.

٣٠ Person handling the PWHT activities

٣١ Health Safety
All personals working in the heat treatment shall be trained and cautioned
about the possible plungers in PWHT work.
It shall be the responsibility of the employed PWHT operator to ensure personal
safety & to ensure whether the facilities with respect to scaffolding, lighting are
fully sufficient, before commencement of any job. All cables shall be tied up
properly & neatly to avoid damages to cables & personnel injuries to
operators.
٣٢ Qualification
The basic requirement for PWHT operator shall be that he should either be a
science/technical graduate or an electrical apprentice high school graduate
with basic electrical knowledge to undertake the heat treatment at the site.
٤٠ Description of Required Equipment & Materials
٤١ Equipment
The equipment shall be of a proper make & it should be bearing proper
electrical power input/output.
Power distribution (supply) shall be of 380/440V Ph, with either single phase
secondary output or step down transformer secondary output (heat treatment
unit) supplying low voltage circuits. The temperature control equipment shall
be operated manually or through regulators or it shall be (made) operated
automatically with the help of modular controls. The chart type temperature
recorder shall be used for recording temp.
The frequency of calibration of temp recorder shall be three months & a
proper valid sticker shall be displayed on the temp recorder.
٤٢ Materials
All the connection materials required for the heat treatment, shall be of
standard quality & it shall be selected free of defects.

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٥٠ Surface Conditions

The welds to be heat treated shall be prepared free of greases, lubricants dust and
coatings to avoid damage & short circuiting of accessories equipments.
During heat treatment it shall be necessary to protect from oxidation the mechanical
surfaces line flange faces, threaded holes, threads by the application of coating such
as deoxaluminite or any other suitable coating material.

٦٠ Method
The procedure for PWHT has to be followed for the various steel grades as mentioned
below.

Material Temperature Heating/Soaking Rate of Rate of

Grade Range Time Heating Cooling
Alloy Steels 7050 - 7490 2 Hrs/ 25mm wall 2220 C / 2220 C /hrs /
ASTM A 335 thickness soaking Hrs/25mm wall 25mm wall
P4 2 hrs minimum thickness thickness

7050 - 7600 2 Hrs/ 25mm wall 2220 C / Hrs/ 2220 C /hrs /

thickness soaking 25mm wall 25mm wall
2 hrs minimum thickness thickness
7050 - 7490 2 Hrs/ 25mm wall 2220 C / Hrs/ 2220 C /hrs /
thickness soaking 25mm wall 25mm wall
2 hrs minimum thickness thickness
7300 - 7900 2 Hrs/ 25mm wall 2220 C / Hrs/ 2220 C /hrs /
thickness soaking 25mm wall 25mm wall
2 hrs minimum thickness thickness
5900 - 6500 1 Hrs/ 25mm wall 2220 C / Hrs/ 2220 C /hrs /
thickness soaking 25mm wall 25mm wall
1 hrs minimum thickness thickness

٧٠ Basic Requirements to carryout PWHT and the methodology

٧١ Thermocouples
a) The thermocouples shall be of the type ‘K’ i.e. nickel-chromium / nickel –
aluminum type in accordance with BS 1041. Part – 4. The thermocouples
should have initial calibration check.

All the thermocouple wires should have valid certificate of conformance
with a tolerance of <+/- 0.75% between the temperature ranges 4000C
to 8000C.
7.0 Basic Requirements to carryout PWHT methodology.
7.1 Thermocouples
a) The thermocouples shall be of the type ‘K’ i.e. nickel-chromium / nickel – aluminum type
in accordance with BS 1041. Part – 4. The thermocouples should have initial calibration
check.

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All the thermocouple wires should have valid certificate of conformance with a
tolerance of <+/- 0.75% between the temperature ranges 4000 C to 8000 C.

The general ‘K’ type thermocouple wire shall have dimension 1/0.71 mm of Ni-Cr/Ni-A1.
The +ve & -ve charges should be marked properly.

Compensating Cable
The cable recommended shall be twin type wore PVC coated copper/constantan
connection to thermocouple, with proper plug & socket.
Copper constantan compensating cable shall be used for connecting thermocouple
wires & the temperature recorder.
Connect the copper lead (+ve white) to nickel-chromium conductor (non magnetic
yellow) and the constantan lead (-ve) to the nickel –aluminum conductor (magnetic
red)
Compensation Cable Specification
Description:
2 x 13/0.2 mm Cu/Con compensating cable type V, with colour code as per BS 1843
+ve –ve –white
-ve - blue
& sheath red cover
The compensating cable specification should conform to international thermocouple
reference tables BSEN – 60584 – 1 of 1996.

b) The thermocouples shall be attached in the following manner.

Capacitance discharged direct wire, & the gap between the wires should not be more
than 6mm. The junction has to be insulated by using thermocouple high temperature
putty in order to protect it from direct heat source.
The thermocouple to extension cable connection shall be minimum of 0.5m outside the
heated zone & the acceptable junction temperature should not be more than 800C.

C) Minimum numbers of equally spaced recording thermocouple (T/C), which are required
for any local Post Weld Heat Treatment (PWHT) shall be as follows
I. For pipes having diameter 305mm or less;- 1 T/C.
II. For pipes having diameter > 305mm ≤610 – 2 T/C.
III. For pipes having diameter > 610; - 4 T/C.
• If multiple heating zones are used being not monitored by a primary T/C, then additional
requirements of T/C should be done.

d) For localized PWHT of vessels it should be monitored using a minimum of four sets of
thermocouples, with each set having one T/C on the inside & outside surfaces. The
positioning of each set shall be done on the weld center line at 900 spacing around the
vessel circumference. We may require additional T/C if multiple heating zones are used &
when it is not monitored by a primary set of T/C.
As per client’s requirement or as per code additional thermocouples shall be fixed to
confirm hot zone or gradient limitation.

e) Thermocouple extension cable should be necessarily of copper-constantan

compensating cable with connection through plug & socket as

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Copper lead (+ve) to nickel chromium (Non Magnetic)

Constantan lead (-ve) to nickel aluminum (Magnetic)

f) The thermocouples & positions shall be identified on the particular temperature recording
chart by number of colour / symbol of stamp

g) After the completion of PWHT remove the thermocouples & ground smoothly the area, to
clean & we thus achieve sound metal. As per the specification / instruction of the
inspector the areas are to be examined by MT or PT after grinding.

7.2 Elements
I. The circumferential band width which has to be heated shall be minimum Six (6) times
the thickness of the shell material being welded from each edge of the weld, but not less
than25mm, whichever is greater.
II. The material temperature shall exceed half the heat treatment temperature over a band
at least 2.5 □ Rt where ‘R’ is the bore radius & ‘t’ is the nominal wall thickness on each
side of the weld times.
For welds on pipes diameter ≥250mm, the elements shall be divided in to two or more
control zones, being top & bottom with pads applied symmetrically.
III. If the elements arrangements is not being capable of desired configuration then.
The center time circumferential gap between two bands shall not exceed 30mm or ‘t’
whichever is lesser.
The longitudinal gaps between elements shall not be more than the wall thickness or
50mm, whichever is less. We should be careful to ensure that there are no gaps in 6’O
clock position.
IV. If the welds are of two separate wall thickness then the elements should be so arranged
to give side to side control in addition to top & bottom control.
V. In the case of inclined or vertical welds the pads shall be arranged about the weld to
give independent control above & below weld centerline.
Elements are attached by - Black annealed iron wire
- Mild steel 12mm wide banding strap.

7.3 Thermal Insulation

I. Thermal insulation should be achieved by following means.
Wool, mineral with minimum density of 80Kg /m3
With ceramic fiber, usually in stainless steel mesh as form of mat, minimum density of
96Kg /m3
II. The insulation distance shall be up to a minimum distance of 305mm beyond the edges
of the heating bands or up to a distance determined by the product of bore radius times
the maximum wall thickness whichever is less.
III. The number of layers & extent of insulated area shall be dependent on
* Wall thickness
* Pipe or fitting diameter
* Gradient requirement
* Site conditions
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In all cases the minimum requirement shall be two (2) layers for densities (80Kg / m3 &
96Kg / m3)
IV. Insulation shall be fixed using black annealed iron wire taking care, not damaging or
cutting into the insulation.
V. By following proper PWHT cycles, the item or the particular joint shall be completed & the
cooling rate should be controlled under insulation.

7.4. Temperature Recording

I. Temperature recorders shall be calibrated after every three months or after repair. The
calibration certificate should be kept & a sticker should be stuck on the instrument.
II. The temperature recorder shall be of the potentiometric self-compensating type. The
chart should also be attached to record all readings.
III. The speed of the chart should be adjusted at 25mm / hr, recording all monitoring of
thermocouples, it should also be giving information’s of the difference in temperatures
and the different trends during the heating & cooling cycle.
IV. The time temperature chart should be recording the heat treatment of those welds
undergoing the same cycle for any particular section.

8.0. PWHT (Post Welded Heat Treatment)

I. Applicable codes shall be adhered to while demy stress relieving reductions in soak
temperature, which are allowed by ASME sec. vii (Dir 1), are not permitted if heat
treatment is required due to service condition (sour service) or in cases where hardness
controls are specified.
II. Stress relieving time temperature shall be applicable over an area of min 6t inches (t =
wall thickness of pipe) on both sides of the weld but it should not be less than 1” on both
sides.
III. Start the heat treatment cycle on an auto program where in heating rate shall not more
than 2220C per hour, divided by maximum material thickness in inches, but in no case
above 2220C on reaching 3160C.
IV. The soak temperature is determined or adjusted as a mean difference in the upper &
lower limits. The maximum variation in temperature should not be more than 400C.
Soaking time starts when all thermocouples achieve this temperature.
V. The cooling rates should not be more than 2220C / hr divided by maximum material
thickness in inches but no case above 2220C.
VI. After attaining 3160C power could be turned off & on cooling the weld to below 1500C
the insulation / elements could be removed.
VII. The minimum soaking time shall be one hour. The PWHT soak period shall be in
accordance with the 80% limitations as applicable to the PQR’s used during fabrication.
The contractor’s PQR could be referred while doing PWHT.

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9.0. Precautions
I. Check all cable connections using proper plugs & sockets.
II. Protect the power cables & thermocouple cable from damage.

10.0. Documentations
I. Procure the approval of the PWHT cycle & assignment for the weld joint to be heat
treated. The details to be included in the work sheet are as follows: Material, wall
thickness of shell, heating & cooling rates, soaking temperature & time.
II. Inform the client if you notice any deviation in the heat treatment cycle.

11.0. Report
The heat treatment cycle chart shall be treated as the proof & record for any h.t –
completion. The chart should be providing the following information’s.
I. Client’s Name
II. Contractors
III. Drawing Document Number
IV. Locations of Thermocouples
V. Weld Number on Item
VI. Material Specification
VII. Soaking Time
VIII. Operators / Technicians name & Sign
IX. Date
X. Location map of particular vessels

12.0. Records
Records shall be maintained for a maximum of three months with all charts & documents.

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IBRAHIM BIN S. AL BRAHIM EST. EXAMINATION PROCEDURE

Document# Page
Approved by: General Manager Issue date: 01 January 2008

ATTACHMENT

THERMOCOUPLE LOCATIONS

DIA ≤ 305 MM DIA > 305 MM ≤ 610 MM

DIA > 610 MM

NOTE:
1. " " is Thermocouple Location
2. Additional Thermocouple will be used if multiple heat control zones are used, in which a
controlzone is monitored by any of the Primary Thermocouple.
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