Ask the Expert - NACE Compliance

Welcome back to Ask the Expert! This time, Smalley’s Expert Engineers answer questions about NACE compliance.

What is NACE?

NACE, the National Association of Corrosion Engineers, is a not-for-profit technical organization known worldwide as the authority for solutions in corrosion control. NACE works with many industries, such as marine, oil & gas, industrial, and utilities to create standards in order to prevent the development and effects of corrosion.

Why is it important to me?

NACE standards are important because they address the life, durability, and performance of products in these industries. The standards set by NACE protect people, assets, and the environment. Taking those factors into account, NACE compliant materials are assigned to operate in certain environments to perform safely and effectively.

Whether that material is in a highly acidic environment or in an extreme temperature situation, the material has to withstand those types of corrosive conditions in order to perform to the best of its ability.

These standards take into account the functionality of all the material properties in order to tolerate the working conditions in an application. In the oil and gas industry, for example, hydrogen sulfide-rich environments create conditions where hydrogen embrittlement can be an issue. Corrosion caused by the hydrogen sulfide produces atomic hydrogen as a byproduct, which combines to form H₂. The hydrogen is then absorbed into the metal and collects to form pockets of hydrogen that make the material brittle. Under stress, these pockets increase the risk of metal fracturing.

Does Smalley offer NACE compliant materials?

Smalley offers products in several materials that comply with NACE standards MR0175 (oil and gas production environments) and MR0103 (oil and gas refining environments).

Some of the Smalley materials that can be specified in this industry are Inconel X-750^®, Inconel 718^®, MP35N^®, and Elgiloy^®.

For more information on what materials Smalley has to offer click here. To learn more about different standards that Smalley complies with, check out our Quality Management System.

Smalley engineers are available at any time for a design consultation.