World Fertilizer: Learning Lessons from Failure

When a component fails, conducting a metallurgical failure analysis assessment is critical to determine the root cause of the damage and establish practical operational considerations to improve the safety of the equipment and facility. While failed components can be easily replaced or repaired in many cases, the key to continuous improvement is to learn the materials and corrosion-related causes of these incidents and prevent future failures. After a failure, it is imperative to establish integrity operating windows (IOWs) for equipment to manage damage mechanisms. It is important to engage with a failure analysis team that has a thorough understanding of mechanisms, fabrication practices, process chemistry, and equipment operation. The most valuable (and difficult) part of a failure analysis is often the engineering solutions which can be identified using the metallurgical lab results.