Corrosion and fouling control in process equipment

摘要

Corrosion attack is an omnipresent threat in oil refineries and petrochemical plants. It may lead to loss of production, cost of maintenance and repairs, replacement cost for equipment, safety aspects and potential environmental impact. If corrosion is slow and well identified, costs can be controlled and planned years in advance. General corrosive species which are observed in the chemical processing industry and occasionally present in oil refining plants are: organic acids, hydrogen chloride, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen sulphide, hydrogen cyanide or cyanides, ammonia, sulphuric and nitric acid, hydrogen fluoride, hydrofluoric acid, chlorine, alkali and hypochlorite. In aqueous environments, these corrosive species can attack the metal surface.