Water aggressivity

We now consider the calcium carbonate equilibrium and aggressive carbon dioxide. Of the various chemical equilibria in natural and service waters, the calcium carbonate equilibrium is of the greatest theoretical and practical importance. It is concerned with the evaluation of water aggressivity, control of deacidiflcation processes, limnology, evaluation of buffering capacity of water, etc. 

Third, these equations show that ground water aggressiveness to minerals increases almost proportionately to the flow rate (Figure 2.35, B). 

Microbial leaching of metals from ores is a promising adjunct to more aggressive metal recovery technologies (77), but is generally achieved by oxidative processes that generate very acidic waters. It seems unlikely that similar approaches will be of much value in removing contaminant metals and metalloids from soils. 

Plasticizer can also be extracted from PVC by a range of solvents including water. The aggressiveness of a particular solvent depends on its molecular size and its compatibiUty with both the plasticizer and PVC. Water extracts plasticizer very slowly, oils are slightly mote aggressive, and low molecular weight solvents are the most aggressive. 

Reaction vessels for supercritical water oxidation must be highly corrosion resistant because of the aggressive nature of supercritical water and oxidation reaction products at extreme temperatures and pressures. Supercritical oxidation of PCBs and some chlorinated hydrocarbons can be difficult... 

The marine environment is highly aggressive. Materials in marine service are constantly exposed to water, corrosive salts, strong sunlight, extremes in temperature, mechanical abuse, and chemical pollution in ports. This climate is very severe on ships, buoys, and navigational aids, offshore stmctures such as drilling platforms, and faciUties near the shore such as piers, locks, and bridges. 

There is often a period before corrosion starts in a crevice in passivating metals. This so-called incubation period corresponds to the time necessary to establish a crevice environment aggressive enough to dissolve the passive oxide layer. The incubation period is well known in stainless steels exposed to waters containing chloride. After a time period in which crevice corrosion is negligible, attack begins, and the rate of metal loss increases (Fig. 2.8). 

The amount of chloride, sulfate, thiosulfate, or other aggressive anions dissolved in water necessary to produce noticeable attack depends on many interrelated factors. Extraordinarily, if the water is quite aggressive, general corrosion may occur so rapidly outside the crevice that concentration differences cannot easily develop between the crevice interior and exterior. However, it is usually safe to assume that as the concentration of aggressive anions increases in solution, crevice attack is stimulated. Seawater chloride concentrations produce severe attack in most stainless crevices in a few weeks. 

Tubercles are mounds of corrosion product and deposit that cap localized regions of metal loss. Tubercles can choke pipes, leading to diminished flow and increased pumping costs (Fig. 3.1). Tubercles form on steel and cast iron when surfaces are exposed to oxygenated waters. Soft waters with high bicarbonate alkalinity stimulate tubercle formation, as do high concentrations of sulfate, chloride, and other aggressive anions. 

Recommendations were made to begin treatment with corrosion inhibitors and to make system operation changes to reduce grease and oil fouling. Other water chemistry recommendations involved reducing the amount of aggressive anion in solution and pursuing biocidal treatment. 

Almost all cooling water system deposits are waterborne. It would be impossible to list each deposit specifically, but general categorization is possible. Deposits are precipitates, transported particulate, biological materials, and a variety of contaminants such as grease, oil, process chemicals, and silt. Associated corrosion is fundamentally related to whether deposits are innately aggressive or simply serve as an occluding medium beneath which concentration cells develop. An American... 

Oxygen corrosion involves many accelerating factors such as the concentration of aggressive anions beneath deposits, intermittent operation, and variable water chemistry. How each factor contributes to attack is often difficult to assess by visual inspection alone. Chemical analysis of corrosion products and deposits is often beneficial, as is more detailed microscopic examination of corrosion products and wasted regions. 

Just as at low pH, concentration mechanisms substantially increase attack. The two principal mechanisms of concentration are evaporation and condensation. Evaporation increases solute concentrations of compounds with vapor pressures lower than water (such as caustic compounds). Condensation increases concentration of aggressive gases such as ammonia. 

Turbulence and high fluid velocities resulting from normal pump operation accelerated metal loss by abrading the soft, graphitically corroded surface (erosion-corrosion). The relatively rapid failure of this impeller is due to the erosive effects of the high-velocity, turbulent water coupled with the aggressiveness of the water. Erosion was aided in this case by solids suspended in the water. 

---