EndurAlloy™ Tubing FAQS
What is EndurAlloy™? How does it work?
EndurAlloy™ is a thermo-chemical process often referred to as diffusion alloying, pack cementation or chemical vapour deposition (CVD) where boron is diffused into the metal surface. The surface is alloyed to contain boron, one of the hardest natural occurring elements on Earth.
What is the process?
Our technicians pack the part to be processed with boron and other enriched elements before it is loaded into one of our specialized, custom-built furnaces. The part is then heated at predetermined temperatures for a precise period of time, allowing the heat to vaporize and diffuse the boron into the substrate of the part.
How does EndurAlloy™ reduce costs and increase revenue and efficiency?
Depending on well conditions EndurAlloy Tubing can last three to ten times longer than regular tubing. The greatly extended run life reduces well servicing and work over costs and increases revenue on stream, providing an ROI many times over the cost of EndurAlloy Tubing.
Is EndurAlloy™ a coating?
No, EndurAlloy™ is a diffusion alloying process (boronizing), not a coating. EndurAlloy™ deposits boron molecules directly into the substrate of the steel.Coatings and liners have an interface with the host material, which means they can separate. EndurAlloy™ cannot separate.
Does EndurAlloy™ Tubing maintain the mechanical properties of J55 Tubing?
Tensile and yield properties of J55 tubing remain within API specs in most cases.
How can EndurAlloy™ be both very hard and highly resistant to corrosion?
Once diffusion alloyed the new EndurAlloy™ surface is now an alloy that is extremely hard and dense. This alloyed surface is also very resistant to corrosive gases and fluids. We have various test documents to support the corrosion resistance of our product.
Are there any special handling requirements for installing EndurAlloy™ Tubing?
No. EndurAlloy™ tubing is processed on the inside surface and can be installed with exactly the same equipment as regular tubing.
Can EndurAlloy™ Tubing also be processed on the external surface?
Special order EndurAlloy™ Tubing can be processed on the external surface for corrosion protection or for use as blast joints. However, due to the EndurAlloy™ surface, externally processed tubing has special handling requirements. We have the necessary handling procedures and equipment necessary to run this product.
Can EndurAlloy be applied to other products?
The EndurAlloy™ process can be applied to a wide range of equipment used in the oil and gas industry, including; Sucker rod couplings, ESP stages, centrifugal pumps (cases, impellers, stuffing boxes), frac nipples, chokes, valves, fittings, pup joints and many other items where erosion or corrosion are a problem.
What are the turnaround times for EndurAlloy™ products?
Endurance Technologies carries an inventory of EndurAlloy™ Tubing at its’ Calgary location ready for immediate shipment to our distributors. Processing other parts generally takes 2-4 weeks, depending on Endurance’s production schedule, though rush jobs can be completed more quickly.
Can the EndurAlloy™ surface be machined?
No, the new surface is so hard that it cannot be accurately or efficiently machined.
Can I weld to an EndurAlloy™ surface?
Yes. Please contact our office for details.
What materials can be processed?
All carbon steels, 410 stainless steel, ni-resist, 174ph, cast steel and forged steel. We have other processes that can be used on other materials. Please contact our office with your specific requirements.
How can a thin diffusion alloy adequately prevent erosion?
Nothing can totally prevent erosion, but erosion can be tremendously reduced by the EndurAlloy™ process. In a hardened metal, the hard precipitate is slowly eroded, but the soft matrix in which it is held erodes quickly. As soon as the support of the hard particle is worn away, the particle simply drops off. By producing a hard, single-phase system on the surface, there is no soft matrix to erode, and therefore a much slower erosion rate. A tremendous increase in wear life is the result. Examples of the extension in wear life of various components from two to ten times has been reported.
How does a diffusion alloy prevent wear?
Wear can be divided into two basic types, adhesive wear and erosive wear. Adhesive wear usually occurs when two metals rub against each other under heavy pressure or extremely de-oxidizing conditions. In adhesive wear, metal migrates across the interface of the parts, resulting in an actual weld. Further movement tears a piece of the material from one or the other of the two parts. This is usually called “seizing” or “galling”. Again, the high bond strength between the atoms of an intermetallic compound prevents their migration across the interface with the mating part. When there is no migration there is no welding or galling. Erosion wear rates, in general, are a function of the amount of energy generated by the friction between the mating parts. Since the friction force is directly related to the coefficient of friction, a decrease in the coefficient results in a decrease in the energy produced.
How corrosion resistant are the EndurAlloy™ processes?
Different combinations of metal in the part and elements introduced by our process give differing results in corrosion. EndurAlloy™ processes are resistant to Hydrochloric Acid, H2S, CO2 and Produced Water. EndurAlloy™ processes can be tailored for specific wear and corrosion applications. An intermetallic compound chemically behaves very different from those elements of which it is composed. An extensive amount of corrosion testing has been performed with the results available in several reports and documents.
How evenly does it go on, and how smooth is it?
The EndurAlloy™ process builds with remarkable uniformity, following each asperity of the original surface. Total alloy thickness available from Endurance Technologies on a part is normally .001 to .020 inches. If the original surface is 12 microinches (RMS), then the surface of the diffusion-alloyed part will be an 12 RMS. Finer finishes require slight lapping.
How brittle is such a hard material?
Although the hard diffusion alloys cannot stand extensive elongation, they are sufficiently ductile. As long as the plastic deformation is below about 5%, the alloy will not crack. Equally, thermal and mechanical shock does not seem to have any effect. Reports containing elongation data are available.
Where is EndurAlloy™ in use?
Industries currently using EndurAlloy™ include petroleum refining, oil production, oil well completion, petrochemical, directional drilling equipment, coal fired power plants, fiberglass insulation manufacturing, synthetic fuel from coal and paint handling.
How small of a diameter can be processed?
No line of sight is required, therefore, diameters as small as 1/8 inch can be processed.
