03/01/2024
Redefining success: Conversations with Tubos Reunidos
Why did you join the ACHIEF project and what’s your role?
Upon analysing the ACHIEF project proposal, we were able to confirm that the objectives of the project were align with our Company’s overarching strategy, thus our goal is to develop new materials to create highly efficient intensive energy processes.
Tubos Reunidos involvement in the project primarily focuses on designing and industrialising a novel 12%Cr tube with improved creep resistance. This advancement is poised to signficantly extend the lifespan of tubes operating in high-temperature environments. This challenge will permit Tubos Reunidos enhance our technological background in the Downstream sector.
How is Tubos Reunidos contributing to reduce their environmental footprint and enhance the circular nature of their processes?
Given the prolonged lifespan of the newly designed tubes resulting from an innovative steel composition and corresponding advanced heat treatment, the overall impact of this new material is a reduction in the environmental footprint. This reduction is quantified by the increased years of operation of the tubes per tonne of CO2 consumed in the manufacturing process.
What have been the main challenges to improve the high-temperature creep behavior of the 12% Cr furnace grade?
We can outline the new development into two main stages. The initial stage involved defining the new chemical composition utlising the JMatPro software for the analysis of the precipitates evolution in the steel in currently commercialised high Cr steel grades performed by TECNALIA, and also carrying out an extensive literature review. Secondly, an innovative heat treatment was proposed to modify the steel’s microstructure and enhance the creep resistance of the new composition. Encouraging preliminary results have have been obtained on a laboratory scale. Currently, our focus is on the industrialization stage, which has also deliver promising results.
What are the main results you have achieved so far as partner in the ACHIEF project to drive energy efficiency in heavy industries?
Thanks to the ACHIEF project, we are showcasing Tubos Reunidos’ industrial capability to produce a novel materials exceeding 12%Cr tubes available in the market. The improvement of the creep resistance of the new design, combining new chemical composition and heat treatment, can be quantified in more than 25% according to our preliminary results. Consequently, as this novel material demonstrates the ability in high-temperature environments, it can be concluded that the ACHIEF project has managed to increase energy efficiency and reduce the environmental footprint in the operation of heavy industries.
How would you explain to a wider public what will be the impact of the ACHIEF project?
The primary achievement of the project related to the new 12%Cr steel grade lies in achieving a new formulation that, while maintaining a very similar environmental footprint to the current 12%Cr materials, will notably prolong the lifespan of manufactured tubes. Therefore, this significant extension in tube longevity consequently enhances the efficiency of intensive energy processes. Similar conclusion can be derived for the additional developments within the project, all aimed at extending the lifespan and minimising degradation of the new components and materials.
How do you see the future of the ACHIEF project?
The innovative methodologies developed within the ACHIEF project are being validated by our partners in the heavy industry sector, and as a results, they are demonstrating significantly good overall performance. This validation effort has to be confirmed in the near future by further industrial testing, so that we can gain sufficient confidence on the new developed solutions. In this way, the project will be able to provide practical solutions to the energy intensive industry, fostering escalated efficiency and a minimised environmental impact.
TUBOS REUNIDOS MAIN RESPONSIBLES TEAM
Jon Barco, Product R&D Head
