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Carmagen 09 14

1. The document lists the top ten ways to control corrosion in process plants, including applying cathodic protection to buried piping, using coatings and impressed current on underwater pipelines, selecting appropriate alloys to resist organic sulfur compounds and naphthenic acids, and controlling conditions under insulation. 2. Other methods mentioned are using biocides and chemical treatment in cooling water, maintaining feedwater treatment in boilers, applying coatings to pipes at supports, and adding inhibitors and removing water in crude unit overheads. 3. The author has over 45 years of experience in corrosion engineering for refineries and pipelines.

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56 views

Carmagen 09 14

1. The document lists the top ten ways to control corrosion in process plants, including applying cathodic protection to buried piping, using coatings and impressed current on underwater pipelines, selecting appropriate alloys to resist organic sulfur compounds and naphthenic acids, and controlling conditions under insulation. 2. Other methods mentioned are using biocides and chemical treatment in cooling water, maintaining feedwater treatment in boilers, applying coatings to pipes at supports, and adding inhibitors and removing water in crude unit overheads. 3. The author has over 45 years of experience in corrosion engineering for refineries and pipelines.

Uploaded by

NAMO
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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September 2014

Top Ten Ways to Control Corrosion in Process Plants Upcoming Training Courses
By Michael J. Humphries, Ph.D.  Course 607
Design and Maintenance of
Corrosion in industrial facilities in general, and process plants in particular, is a costly degradation
Aboveground Atmospheric
mechanism. It could also have safety, environmental, and equipment reliability consequences Storage Tanks
should it result in a loss in pressure containment. Listed below are the top ten ways to control
corrosion in process plants. November 18-20, 2014 in TX
December 16-18, 2014 in NJ
1. Corrosion of Buried Piping or Pipelines  Course 1600
Apply impressed current cathodic protection and polarize the system to –850 Mv. If there is Achieving World Class
evidence of microbiological activity, polarize to –950 Mv. For new equipment, apply a coating Maintenance Performance
to reduce CP system demand and backfill with graded fill to prevent coating damage by rocks. November 4-6, 2014 in NJ
2. Corrosion of Underwater Pipelines February 10-12, 2015 in TX
Apply cathodic protection using impressed current or sacrificial anodes. Polarize to –850 Mv. For more information, see our
For new facilities apply a protection system incorporating a heavy extruded jacket over a liquid website at www.carmagen.com.
applied coating. Joint protection is critical, and should employ a heat shrunk sleeve after the
joint is prepared and coated. Work Highlights
3. Corrosion by Organic Sulfur Compounds in Hydrocarbon Streams Process, Operations & Safety
If carbon steel has proven inadequate, upgrade to 5 Cr or higher alloys. Carbon steel clad
 Completed process support to a
with stainless steel is a good alternative in many applications. Do not use solid 13 Cr or refiner associated with FEL-2
Duplex stainless steels above 600ºF because they may embrittle. Be aware that low silicon process design to upgrade their
carbon steel components sulfide faster than higher silicon steels. FCC reactor system with riser
cracking design improvements,
4. Corrosion by Naphthenic Acids and provided assistance to
For the most economical approach, inject a Naphthenic Acid corrosion inhibitor in conjunction provide process review of
licensor revamp design package.
with limited alloy upgrading to Type 317 stainless steel of circuits that cannot be protected by Starting support for the next
the inhibitor. Alloy upgrading alone is rarely cost effective, and only practical if there is a phase (FEL-3 work) associated
longer term supply of high TAN crude. with this FCC revamp project.

5. Corrosion by H2S/Hydrogen  Providing pilot plant support


Selectively upgrade circuits to stainless steel. The severity of attack depends on the H2S associated with the assessment
of pertinent design practices/
content of the stream and the liquid/vapor ratio. For many applications, Type 304/304L is
engineering standards/SSHE
adequate. Various API, NACE, and other industry documents can provide guidance on alloy procedures, and general process
selection (e.g., API RP 571, NACE MR 0103, etc.). consultation to relocate pilot
facilities.

Carmagen Engineering, Inc. – Industry Leading Engineering Consulting and Training


4 West Main Street, Rockaway, NJ 07866  973-627-4455  www.carmagen.com
6. Corrosion at Pipe Supports
Piping experiences increased external corrosion where it sits on a support. Water and corrosives can become trapped
in the crevice between the pipe and the support, and movement between pipe and support dislodges scale which would
retard corrosion. Corrosion at this location is difficult to monitor and measure. It can be controlled by attaching a
shaped shoe to the outside of the pipe at the support.
7. Corrosion in Recirculating Cooling Water Systems
Corrosion is controlled by application of a biocide and a chemical treatment to control scaling and corrosion. When
hydrocarbon leaks into the system, the biocide is consumed by the hydrocarbon and organic deposits form, leading to
localized corrosion. A first step in controlling corrosion is to break the “Vicious Cycle” initiated by hydrocarbon leaks.
8. Corrosion in Boilers
Provided feedwater treatment is correctly maintained, online corrosion is rarely a problem. Many corrosion problems in
boilers occur when the unit is offline. Boiler layup procedures are critical and should include oxygen removal and
exclusion, and chemicals to raise pH. Alternatively, the boiler may be dry stored, with water completely removed. The
fireside should be maintained warm to prevent water and acid condensation.
9. Corrosion Under Insulation
Field experience has shown many cases of Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI) on carbon steel equipment operating
between 25 and 350ºF (Ref. NACE SP0198-2010) when water penetrates the insulation. Salts carried in with the water,
or derived from the insulation, form a corrosive environment at the pipe surface. Corrosion is controlled by applying a
coating such as an epoxy or epoxy phenolic to the pipe and by ensuring that the weatherproofing over the insulation
excludes water.
10. Corrosion in Crude Column Overheads
Corrosion in the overhead of atmospheric crude units is caused by condensation of acids or desublimation of
ammonium chloride. It is usual to add inhibitors to control acid corrosion. Control of corrosion under ammonium
chloride deposits has become a more critical problem due to increased ammonia levels caused by ammonia recycle
within the refinery. Corrosion under Ammonium Chloride deposits is best controlled by a continuous water wash in the
overhead system. Water introduced to the overhead must be removed in the downstream drum.

About the Author

Michael Humphries has over 45 years experience as a Materials Engineer in the power generation and petroleum industries, including
both the refining and pipeline sectors. He retired after 29 years with Exxon Research & Engineering Company (ER&E). Mike’s areas of
specialty include corrosion, metallurgy, materials engineering, pipeline engineering, heavy wall vessel fabrication, water treating,
inspection, and general fabrication.

Please contact Vince Carucci ([email protected]) if you’d like more information on Carmagen’s expertise in this area.

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