Corrosion - Erossion: Ulhas Thakur

Corrosion_Erossion
Ulhas Thakur
Corrosion
• Deuteriation of metal or its alloy due to its environment . Corrosion is
chemical reaction of a metal/ Environment interface. This leads to
deuteriation in the properties of material or metal .
• The mechanical, chemical or physical properties of metal can be
deterioted
EROSION
Erosion is a type of corrosion and is caused by flow restriction
or change of direction, e.g. elbows, tees, baffles, nozzles and
valves and point opposite to inlet nozzle. It is increased if the
flow contains solid particles or by bubbles in liquids and by
two phase flow. Wet steam flow, air jet flashing flow and
pump cavitation can cause severe erosion.
Causes of corrosion
Corrosion failure has also many reasons to occur. General, local and external
corrosion, galvanic, crevice, knife-line, intergranular and stress-related
corrosion, scaling, exfoliation, corrosion pitting and erosion are some common
types of corrosion in process plants including pressure vessels.
• Corrosion due to oxidation at high temperature is called scaling, e.g. steam
boilers. Exfoliation is a type of scaling caused by oxidation in steam
atmosphere e.g. feed water heaters. General corrosion takes place due to a
corrosive chemical or impurity over the exposed surface.
• Intergranular corrosion occurs in stainless steels heated upto 500-800 °C and
then exposed to corrosive conditions.
Methods of corrosion prevention
• Galvanic corrosion happens due to current flowing between tow dissimilar metals
which form a galvanic cell. It occurs when two such metals are joined together at a
weld. A typical pair is iron and copper.
• Corrosion pitting results from electrochemical potential set up by differences of
oxygen concentration inside and outside the pit. The oxygen-lean part acts as
anode and the metal surface as cathode.
• Knife-line corrosion takes place between parent and weld metals, e.g. austenitic
stainless steels.
• Crevice or contact corrosion occurs at the point of contact of a metal and non-
metallic material, e.g. threaded joints.
Methods of Corrosion prevention
• : Corrosion Prevention is of high importance as it prevents accidents and reduces cost of corroded materials.
• Substitution of non-corrosive or less corrosive material (e.g. SS instead of MS) tolerated by the process
technology and economy and selection of such material from the design and erection stage avoids most of
the corrosion problems.
• Then selection of powder coated metal parts (sheets, structural members, machine parts, guards, covers
etc.) instead of painted, give long life.
• Mild steel parts of tanks structures piping, machines and vessels must be regularly painted by anti-
corrosive paints.
• Protection from rain and plant water, dripping and leaking of corrosive chemicals, oxidation and contact of
zinc and copper is necessary.
• Rapid cleaning of spillage, good housekeeping, cathodic protection, control of flow, fluctuations and
vibrations, water softening and removal of salts, checking of scale formation on plates and tubes,
thickness measurement and defect monitoring by NDT methods and latest instruments and equipment,
scanning by computer methods, descaling, dechoking, scrapping, timely repairing and preventive
maintenance are also useful to avoid corrosion and erosion.
• Other methods to stop corrosion and erosion are as under :
1. Two compatible metal prevent or slow down the rate of corrosion.
2. A strategically placed gasket i.e. to provide insulating material between
the two metals.
3. Cathodic protection and conversion coating.
4. Crevice corrosion can be avoided by choosing materials having corrosion
resistance. Stainless steels are prone to crevice corrosion and not recommended
for such use.
5. Dezincificaiton (removal of zinc from brass) can be prevented by using
alloys of brass containing Sn, As, P or Sb.
Use of non-metallic material like plastic.
7. Applying monomolecular film (inhibitor) of grease, paint, synthetic organic coating or a
plastic sheet (liner) over the surface.
8. Use of oxygen scavengers (e.g. Sodium sulphite and hydrazine) to add into boiler water to
remove oxygen.
9. Inhibitors like phosphonates are used in cooling water for corrosion control.
10. Use of acid pickling as corrosion inhibitors.
11. Use of heavy oils or greases, waxes dissolved in solvents or sulphonate salts dissolved in
petroleum as a barrier between die environment and the metal surface.
However it should be verified that chemicals being selected as inhibitors should not be
carcinogenic.as they can cause cancer. For example p-t-butyl benzoic acid, sodium nitrite,
nitrosamines, thiourea etc. are carcinogenic and should not be used.
Non-metallic materials like plastic, rubber and synthetic elastomers
can also be attached by corrosion or cracking due to solvent,
environmental stress or thermal effect. Corrosion process in plastic
takes place because of swelling, softening or loss of physical
properties. Polyurethane, polyethylene, polystyrene, ABS, acetal
homopolymers and polyethersulfone are the plastics having good
resistance against corrosion.-
• Rubber lining (e.g. chloroprene, nitrile and butyl rubber) on steel
tank prohibits attack of strong acids.
prevention of corrosion in cross country pipelines carrying liquid
chemicals.
• The pipeline is wrapped to protect it against corrosion once it is

buried. The wrapping is normally tested by a 15,000 volt pressure
test to ensure there are no holes in it. Additionally, an impressed
current cathodic protection system is superimposed to protect
against subsequent wrapping damage due to stones, roots, etc.
• Pipeline control systems should be capable of recognising and
measuring leak conditions and initiating the appropriate action to
shut down the system and minimise the amount of product leaked.
Types of corrosion
• Corrosion can be categorized in some common types
 uniform corrosion
 pitting corrosion
 galvanic corrosion
 crevice corrosion
 concentration cell corrosion
 graphitic corrosion
Types of corrosion
• Uniform or General Corrosion
The metal loss is uniform from the surface.
Often combined with high-velocity fluid erosion, with or without
abrasives.
• Pitting Corrosion
• The metal loss is randomly located on the metal surface.
• Often combined with stagnant fluid or in areas with low fluid
velocity
Types of corrosion
• Galvanic Corrosion
Occurs when two metals with different electrode potential is
connected in a corrosive electrolytic environment.
The anodic metal develops deep pits and groves in the surface.
Types of corrosion
• Crevice Corrosion
Occurs at places with gaskets, bolts and lap joints where crevice exists.
Crevice corrosion creates pits similar to pitting corrosion.
• Concentration Cell Corrosion
Occurs where the surface is exposed to an electrolytic environment where the
concentration of the corrosive fluid or the dissolved oxygen varies.
Often combined with stagnant fluid or in areas with low fluid velocity.
• Graphitic Corrosion
• Cast iron loosing iron in salt water or acids.
• Leaves the graphite in place, resulting in a soft weak metal.

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Corrosion_Erossion

• The pipeline is wrapped to protect it against corrosion once it is

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