Corrosion control equipment design considerations

In the modern business environment, successful enterprises cannot tolerate major corrosion failures, especially those involving unscheduled shutdowns, environmental contamination, personal injuries, and fatalities. For this reason, considerable effort must be expended on corrosion control at the design stage and also in the operational phase. Typically, once a system, a plant, or any piece of equipment is put into service, maintenance is required in order to keep it operating safely and efficiently. This is particularly true for aging systems and structures, many of which may operate beyond their original design life. 

The function of protection is, to a considerable degree, the upkeep of the optimum anti-corrosion factor built into the particular design itself. Protection on its own, therefore, caimot normally take sole responsibility for preservation of a utihty in a usable state. Both the intrinsic corrosion-control provisions and properties that are kept captive within the material boundaries of the designed structure or equipment, and the corrosion-protection activities that are applied from without, are complementary... 

Effects of previous corrosion-control precautions or procedures should be classified as to whether these are constant problems or seasonaf progressive or static. Historically documented cases of corrosion behavior of materials, structures, plant, equipment, and the methods of corrosion control should be considered with caution the response of materials, designs and preservation systems may vary considerably in the vast variety of corrosive conditions in existence. 

This chapter covers safety considerations in design, installation, operation, and maintenance of selected process equipment and auxiliary systems. The first section (3.1) briefly discusses the impact of material selection on process equipment safety. Section 3.2 introduces the subject of corrosion and its control. The following more specific topics are then covered ... 

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