A new stainless steel has been developed by Sandvik Steel, specifically for use in the production of urea. Produced in co-operation with leading urea process system designer and operator, Stamicarbon of Holland, the new grade, called Sandvik Safurex, has improved corrosion resistance in carbamate solutions and greater resistance to stress corrosion cracking if chloride content in the process is high. Sandvik Safurex is designed to resist much higher chloride concentrations at higher temperatures than both of the commonly used urea grade stainless steel materials – 316L Urea Grade and Sandvik’s own Sandvik 2RE69. The properties of new Sandvik Safurex are already being proved in service. Tubes in the new grade were selected for installation in a high pressure carbamate condenser, fabricated by Schoeller Bleckmann Nooter in Austria and installed at the Police Zaklady Chemiczne urea plant in Poland.
