DETERIORATION BY

PROCESS OF CORROSION
METAL
OXIDE

REDUCTION

METAL

CORROSION

METAL
OXIDE

CORROSION IS A NATURAL PROCESS

 MECHANISM OF CORROSION
WHEN PUT IN AQUEOUS SOLUTON

AT SOME LOCATIONS (KNOWN AS ANODE) METAL

IONISES
ANODIC REACTION -- M = Mn+ + ne
ELECTRON RELEASED HAS TO BE USED TO SUSTAIN
REACTION. THIS OCCURES AT ANOTHER POINT WHERE
ELECTRON IS CONSUMED
CATHODIC REACTION --
2H+ + 2e = H2--
Cu2+ + 2e = Cu
O2 + 2H2O = 4(OH) -
RESULTS IN FLOW OF
CURRENT FROM ANODE
TO CATHODE
---- A MEASURE OF CORROSION RATE
CORROSION IS THEREFORE AN ELECTRO CHEMICAL
REACTION
 DRIVING FORCE FOR FLOW OF CURRENT
* DIFFERENCE IN POTENTIAL BETWEEN
ANODE AND CATHODE
* WHAT ARE THE FACTORS
* ALL METALS DEVELOP POTENTIAL SPECIFIC
TO ENVIRONMENT VARYING FROM HIGH
NEGATIVE TO HIGH POSITIVE
* VARIATIONS IN CHEMICAL (OXYGEN & SALT
CONCENTRATION) & MECHANICAL (STRESS,
TEMPERATURE) ON METAL SURFACE

MORE NEGATIVE THE POTENTIAL

HIGHER THE CORROSION (ANODIC)
HIGHER THE POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE
HIGHER IS CURRENT OR CORROSION
DRY BATTERY IS AN EXAMPLE OF
CORROSION GENERATING ELECTRICITY
WHEN ZINC CORRODES
PASSIVATION IS DRASTIC DECREASE IN
CORROSION CURRENT IN CRITICAL POTENTIAL
RANGE DUE TO FORMATION OF PROTECTIVE
OXIDE SCALE
EXAMPLE : ALUMINUM, STAINLESS STEELS
 FORMS OF CORROSION

UNIFORM CORROSION
GALVANC CORROSION
PITTING & CREVICE CORROSION
INTERGRANULAR CORROSION
IMPINGEMENT CORROSION
DE ALLOYING
STRESS CORROSION CRACKING
HYDROGEN DAMAGE
 ATMOSPHERIC
General Corrosion - This
CORROSION ---
40 year old sample of 8 in.
schedule 80 pipe, while AN EXAMPLE OF
clearly containing deposits
UNIFORM
of iron oxide, shows very
even wall loss and long CORROSION
remaining service life.
 BOILING POINT CURVE
SANICRO 28
904L (2RK65)
SAF 2507
SAF 2205
316L
304L

Iso-corrosion diagram for various

stainless grades in formic acid
 GALVANIC CORROSION
• TWO METALS WITH LARGE DIFFERENCE IN
POTENTIAL IN ELECTRIC CONTACT ACTIVE
METAL ACTS AS ANODE WITH RESPECT TO
NOBLER METAL
* EXAMPLES : Zn / Fe ; Fe / Ad. BRASS ; NAVAL
BRASS / SS ; MONEL / Ti
IN SUCH COMBINATIONS Zn , Fe , NAVAL BRASS
& MONEL WILL BE ANODE AND CORRODE
WHILE THE NOBELER METAL WILL BE
PROTECTED

• DEGREE OF INCREASED CORROSION DEPENDS

ON POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE; CATHODE TO
ANODE RATIO; RESISTIVITY OF MEDIA
Galvanic Corrosion - A common problem area where
carbon steel pipe is connected directly to either brass
valves or copper pipe in a highly humid atmosphere
Example of material mix-up. A tube of type 304 (left)
was unintentional welded to a tube of type 316 (right).
When exposed to the process solution 304 gradually
dissolved and the tube wall was heavily reduced.
 PITTING CORROSION

• LOCLISED ATTACK WITH NONE TO MILD

GENERAL ATTACK

• DEPOLRISERS LIKE OXYGEN AND CHLORIDE

MAINLY RESPONSIBLE FOR LOCAL
CORROSION CELL

• OCCURS IN MOST METALS INCLUDING

CARBON AND ALLOY STEELS

EXAMPLE : PITTING BELOW

TUBERCULUS IN WATER PIPE
ATTACK UNDER
DEPOSIT DUE TO
OXYGEN RICH &
OXYGEN DEFICIENT
AREAS

PITTING
STARTED
AT POINTS
OF FILM
BREAK
DOWN
PITTING OF CARBON STEEL IN PITTING OF STAINLESS STEEL IN
WATER UNDER DEPOSITS CHLORIDE ENVIRONMENT
-PITTING REISTANCE OF SS IS INCERASED BY ADDITION
OF Cr, Mo AND N. THE RELATIONSHIP IS EMPERICALLY
RELATED AS PITTING RESISTANCE EQUIVALENTS (PRE)

FERRITIC = %Cr + 3.3%Mo

AUSTENETIC = %Cr + 3.3%Mo + 30%N
DUPLEX = %Cr + 3.3%Mo + 16%N

--PITTING RATE INCREASES WITH TEMPERATURE;

CRITICAL PITTING TEMPERATURE (CPT)
 Comparison of CPT- and CCT-values
for some stainless steels
(obtained by the modified ASTM G48
method).
 CREVICE CORROSION
-- INTENSE LOCALISED CORROSION WITHIN
MICRON DIMENSION CREVICE FORMED BY
OVERLAPPING THIN LAYER OF WATER
CORRODES AND THEN FOLLOWED BY
MIGRATION OF CHLORIDE ION AS IN PITTING.
LOW PH RESULTS IN LOCALISED ATTACK
-- SOLID DEPOSITS AND BIOFILM DEPOSITS
ALSO LEAD TO CREVICE ATTACK

crevice
 INTERGRANULAR CORROSION

-- CORROSION RESISTANCE OF STAINLESS

STEELS IS DUE TO Cr-OXIDE FILM FORMED ON
SURFACE.
-- DURING WELDING Cr-CARBIDE IS PRECIPITED
AT GRAIN BOUNDARIES IN HAZ RESULTING IN Cr
DEPLETED BAND ALONG GRAINS

-- CORROSION THEN PROCEEDS ALONG GRAIN

BOUNDARY
-- PREVENTED BY USING LOW CARBON OR
ADDING STABILISERS LIKE Ti OR Cb (Nb)
EDAX ANALYSIS OF GRAIN
BOUNDARY CARBIDE
 WELD

HAZ ATTACK
 IMPINGEMENT, EROSION AND CAVITATION
CORROSION
-- UNDER TURBULANCE OR EROSIVE
CONDITIONS PROTECTIVE FILM IS
DESTROYED RESULTING IN DEEP
LOCALISED CORROSION
-- INTENSITY OF ATTACK IS
DEPENDENT ON CORROSIVITY,
DEGREE OF EROSIVE ACTION AND
PROPERTY OF FILM
-- SHOWS TYPICAL DIRECTIONAL
EFFECT
-- CONTROLLED BY VELOCITY,
INHIBITION, DESIGN AND
MATERIAL UPGRADATION
PIPE BEND EXCHANGER TUBE

U - BEND
 FAILURE EXAMPLE
Corrosion of Steam Tracing Jump-Overs Due To Erosion
Corrosion
• Repeated failures were experienced in the
jump-overs of low pressure steam tracing
lines provided in piping conveying sour gas in
a refinery.. The low radius carbon steel jump
overs got punctured at the outer radius of
jump-overs.
• Low pressure steam contains droplets of
condensed water which normally have low
pH. Impinging low pH water droplets resulted
in erosion-corrosion.
• Use of SS 304 bends prevented this type of
failure.
* STRESS
CORROSION CRACKING OCCURS BY COMBINED)
• CORROSIVE ENVIRONMENT – ALLOY SPECIFIC

EXAMPLES :
Cu ALLOYS CRACK IN AMMONIA BUT NOT SS
CARBON STEELS CRACK IN CAUSTIC BUT NOT Cu ALLOYS
SS AND Al CRACK IN CHLORIDE BUT NOT CARBON STEEL
OR Cu ALLOYS

* CRACKING MODE IS INTER OR TRANS GRANULAR

NORMALLY RELATED TO ALLOY AND ENVIRONMENT
* TRANSGRANULAR CRACK – SS IN CHLORIDE, CARBON
STEEL IN CO+C02 INTERGRANULAR CRACK – CARBON
STEEL IN CAUSTIC AND Cu ALLOYS IN NH3
 SOME ALLOY / ENVIRONMENT
SYSTEMS CAUSING SCC

Alloy Environment
Carbon Steel Carbonates and Bicarbonates / Caustic
Nitrate, Cyanide, Anhydrous Ammonia,
CO/CO2/H2O Mixtures
Austenitic Stainless Steel Organic and Inorganic Chlorides
Acidic Hydrogen Sulfide, Caustic
Sulfurous and Polythionic Acids
Nickel-Base Alloys Caustic above 6000F (above 3150F)
Hydrofluoric Acid
Copper-Base Alloys Amines, Dilute Ammonia,
Ammonium Hydroxide, Sulfur Dioxide
STRESS VS. CRACKING TIME
INTER GRANULAR
CRACKING

TRANS GRANULAR
CRACKING
CSCC
SUSCESTIBLE
AREA IN SS
EXCHANGERS
 DEALLOYING

DE ZINCIFICATION OF
ADMIRALITY BRASS
TUBE. FATIGUE
CRACKS IN
DEZINCIFIED SPOTS

Denickelification of
the cupronickel tube.
 LIQUID METAL EMBRITTLEMENT
-- PREFERENTIAL PENETRATION OF A METAL IN LIQUID
ALONG GRAIN BOUNDARIES
-- FORMATION OF BRITTLE INTERMETALLIC SURFACE
COMPOUNDS
-- THIS TYPE OF ATTACKS LEAD TO BRITTLE FRACTURE
UNDER TENSION
-- EFFECT IS DEPENDENT ON SPECIFIC SOLID/LIQUID
METAL COMBINATION
EXAMPLES :
-- SOLID COPPER / LIQUID
ZINC
-- SOLID COPPER / LIQUID
MERCURY
-- SOLID STAINLESS STEEL /
LIQUID ZINC
  MICROBIOLOGICALLY INFLUNCED
CORROSION (MIC)

• BIOLOGICAL ORGANISMS AFFECT CORROSION

BY DAMAGING FILM, INFLUNCING
ANODE/CATHODE REACTION OR BY
PRODUCING CORROSIVE SUBSTANCE
DEPENDING ON NATURE OF ORGANISM
• AS MICROBS FORM MOUNDS LOCALISED
CORROSION OCCURS
• SOIL, WATER AND HYDROCARBON ARE MAIN
ENVIRONMENTS
Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI
Corrosion) - Often identified only
after the removal of pipe insulation
for another purpose, water from rain
and snow typically penetrates most
exterior installations to cause wide
ranging wall loss.
CUI Corrosion - Eexterior pipe corrosion due
to moisture condensation can take the form of
either deep and random pitting, or, as shown
above - a generalized deterioration of the entire
surface. Since iron oxide is approximately 25
times less dense that the original steel, it often
suggests a much greater wall loss than actually
exists. CUI is the greatest threat to smaller
diameter piping..