Corrosion steel

The corrosion rate of steel in carbonic acid is faster than in hydrochloric acid Correlations are available to predict the rate of steel corrosion for different partial pressures of CO2 and different temperatures. At high temperatures the iron carbonate forms a film of protective scale on the steel s surface, but this is easily washed away at lower temperatures (again a corrosion nomogram is available to predict the impact of the scale on the corrosion rate at various CO2 partial pressures and temperatures). 

Steel is an acceptable material of constmction for handling solutions of up to 50% NaOH below 40°C. Above 40°C the steel corrosion rate increases rapidly and iron is picked up in the solution. Materials for handling 50% NaOH are lined steel for tank cars and lined or unlined steel for tanks and piping. 

Ma.rine. In the presence of an electrolyte, eg, seawater, aluminum and steel form a galvanic cell and corrosion takes place at the interface. Because the aluminum superstmcture is bolted to the steel bulkhead in a lap joint, crevice corrosion is masked and may remain uimoticed until replacement is required. By using transition-joint strips cut from explosion-welded clads, the corrosion problem can be eliminated. Because the transition is metaHurgicaHy bonded, there is no crevice in which the electrolyte can act and galvanic action caimot take place. Steel corrosion is confined to external surfaces where it can be detected easily and corrected by simple wire bmshing and painting. 

Liquid polyalurninum chloride is acidic and corrosive to common metals. Suitable materials for constmction of storage and handling facilities include synthetic mbber-lined steel, corrosion resistant fiber glass reinforced plastics (FRP), ceramics, tetrafluoroethylene polymer (PTFE), poly(vinyhdene fluoride) (PVDF), polyethylene, polypropylene, and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVG). Suitable shipping containers include mbber-lined tank tmcks and rail cars for bulk shipment and plastic-lined or aH-plastic dmms and tote bins for smaller quantities. Except for aluminum chlorohydrates, PAG products are shipped as hazardous substances because of their acidity. 

Feedwater treatment is designed to protect the feedwater system and, to some extent, the boiler. Most systems contain carbon steel piping. Carbon steel corrosion (Fig. 23a) is considerably slower at a pH between 9.0 and 11.0. In aH-ferrous feedwater systems, the preferred pH range is therefore 9.2 to 9.6, although some systems are operated at a pH as high as 10. In systems where copper alloys are present, high concentrations of ammonia accelerate corrosion of the copper alloys. In those systems the preferred pH is 8.8—9.2. 

Foulants enter a cooling system with makeup water, airborne contamination, process leaks, and corrosion. Most potential foulants enter with makeup water as particulate matter, such as clay, sdt, and iron oxides. Insoluble aluminum and iron hydroxides enter a system from makeup water pretreatment operations. Some well waters contain high levels of soluble ferrous iron that is later oxidized to ferric iron by dissolved oxygen in the recirculating cooling water. Because it is insoluble, the ferric iron precipitates. The steel corrosion process is also a source of ferrous iron and, consequendy, contributes to fouling. 

Table 17. Cast Stainless Steels, Corrosion and Heat-Resistant Grades...

ELECTROCHEMICAL STUDIES ON INHIBITION OF MILD STEEL CORROSION BY NICOTINAMIDE... 

Acidic pH helps break down protective oxides on stainless steels. Corrosion usually develops faster and is more severe as pH decreases. At very low pH, however, attack inside crevices may be no more severe than on regions outside the crevice. 

Figure 5.2 Schematic of carbon steel corrosion rate versus exposure time in a typical oxygenated cooling water. Note how the average corrosion rate decreases with time and converges to CR at t (the minimum exposure time to get reproducible results).

Metal-reducing bacteria, such as those that convert ferric to ferrous ion, have been suggested as an accelerant for steel corrosion in oxygenated waters, lb date, evidence of these bacteria influencing corrosion in industrial systems is scarce. 

Access of oxygen to steel surfaces during corrosion influences the wastage process in nonoxidizing acids. Fluid velocity can influence the amount of oxygen reaching the metal surface and, therefore, the corrosion rate. In deaerated acid solutions, steel corrosion rate is constant with fluid velocity. If dissolved oxygen is present, however, the corrosion rate is proportional to fluid velocity. 

Table 4.9 Selected inorganic salts highly corrosive to carbon steel (Corrosion rate >50 mpy)...

Calcium chloride May cause steel corrosion if concrete is porous/c racked... 

Barth, C. F., Steigerwaid, E. A. and Troiano, A. R., Hydrogen Permeability and Delayed Failure of Polarised Martensitic Steels , Corrosion, 25, 353 (1969)... 

Doshi, C. P. and Austin, W. W., Effect of Grain Size on Carbide Precipitation and Intergranular Corrosion in AISI Type 201 Stainless Steel , Corrosion, 21, 332 (1965)... 

Armijo, J. S., Intergranular Corrosion of Nonsensitised Austenitic Stainless Steel , Corrosion, 24, 24 (1968)... 

Gizhermo, R. and Khristo, E., Effect of the Deoxidation Method on the Intercrystalline-corrosion Tendency of Cr-Ni Austenitic Steels , Melalurgiye, 5, 17 (1972) C.A., 80, 98898y Joshi, A. and Stein, D. F., Chemistry of Grain Boundaries and its Relation to Intergranular Corrosion of Austenitic Stainless Steel , Corrosion, 28, 321 (1972)... 

Tomashov, N. D., Chernova, G. P. and Marcova, O. N., Effect of Supplementary Alloying Elements on Pitting Corrosion Susceptibility of 18Cr-14Ni Stainless Steel , Corrosion, 20, 166 (1964)... 

Rarey, C. R. and Aronson, A. H., Pitting Corrosion of Sensitised Ferritic Stainless Steel , Corrosion, 28, 255 (1972)... 

The significance of the amount of sulphur dioxide rather than the concentration has been demonstrated by other workers who have studied the effects of atmospheric flow rate. An increase in steel corrosion with increase in atmospheric flow rate at a constant volume concentration of sulphur... 

Nickel and nickel alloys possess a high degree of resistance to corrosion when exposed to the atmosphere, much higher than carbon and low-alloy steels, although not as high as stainless steels. Corrosion by the atmosphere is, therefore, rarely if ever a factor limiting the life of nickel and nickel alloy structures when exposed to that environment. 

Marine fouling leading to the local production of HjS increases crack growth rate, but what the effect is when combined with CP is uncertain. Some of the factors mentioned earlier in connection with other steel corrosion problems are important to sulphide stress-corrosion cracking, (SSCC), eg. compositions, particularly C which usefully can be reduced to below 0.05%, S, microstructure and segregation . Compositional homogenisation by heat treatment can be beneficial ", whilst the presence of Cu in the... 

A limited degree of control over the corrosivity of the product packed is possible. Minor pH adjustments may be helpful, especially in ensuring an anodic relation of tin to steel corrosion promoters, like nitrate, sulphur and copper may be excluded from necessary additives, such as water and sugar, and from sprays applied to crops approaching harvest. The effect of sulphur compounds which may remain from spray residues is complex but often includes reversal of the tin-iron polarity. 

Nature of the environment This is usually water, an aqueous solution or a two- (or more) component system in which water is one component. Inhibitors are, however, sometimes required for non-aqueous liquid systems. These include pure organic liquids (Al in chlorinated hydrocarbons) various oils and greases and liquid metals (Mg, Zr and Ti have been added to liquid Bi to prevent mild steel corrosion by the latter ). An unusual case of inhibition is the addition of NO to N2O4 to prevent the stress-corrosion cracking of Ti-6A1-4V fuel tanks when the N2O4 is pressurised... 

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