CAUSTIC EMBRITTLEMENT IN THE BAYER INDUSTRY

Caustic embrittlement continues to occur in Bayer plants even though various safeguards and procedures are followed. QAL, Alcan-Gove and Alcoa World Alumina have collaborated to share information on failures, conduct work through studies at Monash University and with in-plant testing. The focus is to better define conditions that cause caustic embrittlement, standardise and publish procedures for welding and stress relieving to minimise the potential of caustic embrittlement, and to identify those materials that are particularly susceptible to caustic embrittlement. The paper will discuss: caustic embrittlement in terms of the Bayer industry, those areas of plant where caustic embrittlement has the most potential to occur, materials that have a proven track record of being particularly susceptible to failure and the joint research that has been sponsored at the Centre of Advanced Materials Technology, Monash University.