High-temperature corrosion hydrogen

If the production of vinyl chloride could be reduced to a single step, such as dkect chlorine substitution for hydrogen in ethylene or oxychlorination/cracking of ethylene to vinyl chloride, a major improvement over the traditional balanced process would be realized. The Hterature is filled with a variety of catalysts and processes for single-step manufacture of vinyl chloride (136—138). None has been commercialized because of the high temperatures, corrosive environments, and insufficient reaction selectivities so far encountered. Substitution of lower cost ethane or methane for ethylene in the manufacture of vinyl chloride has also been investigated. The Lummus-Transcat process (139), for instance, proposes a molten oxychlorination catalyst at 450—500°C to react ethane with chlorine to make vinyl chloride dkecfly. However, ethane conversion and selectivity to vinyl chloride are too low (30% and less than 40%, respectively) to make this process competitive. Numerous other catalysts and processes have been patented as weU, but none has been commercialized owing to problems with temperature, corrosion, and/or product selectivity (140—144). Because of the potential payback, however, this is a very active area of research. 

Various forms of high temperature corrosion including long-term overheating, decarburization, and hydrogen embrittlement... 

If local stresses exceed the forces of cohesion between atoms or lattice molecules, the crystal cracks. Micro- and macrocracks have a pronounced influence on the course of chemical reactions. We mention three different examples of technical importance for illustration. 1) The spallation of metal oxide layers during the high temperature corrosion of metals, 2) hydrogen embrittlement of steel, and 3) transformation hardening of ceramic materials based on energy consuming phase transformations in the dilated zone of an advancing crack tip. 

High-temperature corrosion frequently shows general corrosion, as in oxidation, sulfidation, carburization, hot corrosion and hydrogen effects, etc. It should be noted that subsurface corrosion or internal corrosion at high-temperature corrosion is a highly localized corrosion phenomenon. 

All forms of degradation that could reasonably be expected to affect a vessel in any particular service. Examples of degradation mechanisms include internal or external corrosion or erosion, all forms of cracking (both internal and external), fatigue, embrittlement, creep, high temperature, and hydrogen attack. 

Figure 1.4 Effect of temperature and hydrogen sulfide content on high-temperature corrosion...

---