Case study of grate-chain degradation in a Grate-Kiln process

Austenitic stainless steels are often used in high temperature applications due to their resistance to corrosion. Grate-Kiln processes that sinter iron ore pellets use grate-chains which are made of austenitic stainless steel to withstand the severe environment. It has been shown, however, that the grate-chain is affected by several degrading mechanisms in the harsh environment of the sintering process. A grate-chain that has been in service for 8 months was investigated in order to find the mechanisms of degradation. Results show that slag products are accumulated on the grate-chain and interact with the steel as hot corrosion. The stainless steel is believed to be sensitized against inter-granular attack by carburization followed by inter-granular attack. The resistance towards degradation seems to decrease with time which is suggested to be caused by depletion of chromium.