CORROSION ENGINEERING

Lecture - 6

PITTING CORROSION:

It is extremely localized corrosion.

It forms cavities or pits.
Characteristics of pitting:
Happen for the metals which are passivating in nature.
Very insidious form of corrosion.
It does not involve much of weight loss.
Rate of pitting corrosion measures in terms of mpy or mmpy.

Factors that leads to pitting corrosion:

Surface defects
Degree of cold work
Surface finish
Sensitization temperature
Environmental contamination
Composition
Velocity

Condition for pitting corrosion:

Breaks in the film (passive film) happen due to lack of homogeneity

Presence of Halogen
Stagnancy of electrolyte

Mechanism of pitting corrosion:

Step 1: Initiation of pit
Step 2: Propagation of pit
Step 3: Pitting termination

Metal dissolution M M+2 + 2e

Oxygen reduction O2 + 2H2O + 4e 4OH-a. M+2 + H2O M(OH)2 + H+
b. M+2 + 2Cl-- MCl2
c. MCl2 + 2H2O M(OH)2 + 2H+ Cl--

Prevention:
Crevice corrosion protection ways will also act as protective measures for pitting.
Making the passive layer more stable.
Avoidance of stagnancy.

Prevention methods and procedures:

Use welded butt joints instead of riveted or bolted joints in new equipment. Sound welds and
complete penetration are necessary to avoid porosity and crevices on the inside.
Close crevices in existing lap joints by continuous welding and soldering.
Design vessels for complete drainage; avoid sharp corners and stagnant areas. Complete
draining facilitates washing and cleaning and tends to prevent solids from settling on the bottom
of the vessel.
Inspect equipment and remove deposits frequently.
Remove solids in suspension early in the process or plant flow sheet, if possible.
Remove wet packing materials during long shutdowns.
Provide uniform environments, if possible, as in the case of backfilling a pipeline trench.
Use solid nonabsorbent gaskets, such as Teflon, wherever possible.
Weld instead of rolling in tubes in tube sheets.

Thank You