Advanced stainless steel in piping systems

Stainless steels are normally used in environments which are corrosive or aggressive and where high demands are placed on hygiene.

In a case study, the difference in environmental impact has been estimated between a urea production plant where the plant’s piping system is built of conventional stainless steel, and one built with a specially developed high strength stainless steel.

Through using high strength steel with greater corrosion resistance in an urea production plant, the energy use in the production process was cut by 7%. The upgrade results in greenhouse gas emissions, over the lifetime of the piping system, being cut by 265,000 tonnes CO_2e.

The high strength steel in the case study has been specially developed for use in urea production. It possesses properties that make it possible to run the production process withless oxygen in order to reduce thereby the energy use.

This is one example of how steel producers can collaborate with customers to develop new specially customised steel grades.

The fact sheet is a summery from a case study within the environmental research program The Steel Eco-Cycle.
Learn more about the program.