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Corrosion prediction through advanced modeling
OLI Systems helps you predict and prevent corrosion, protecting your assets through advanced thermodynamic, electrochemical and process modeling in combination with real-time monitoring solutions tailored to your needs.
What is Corrosion Management?
Corrosion management is a systematic approach to mitigate the electrochemical degradation of materials, particularly metals, in industrial environments. This involves understanding the thermodynamics and kinetics of corrosion reactions, selecting corrosion-resistant materials and employing predictive modeling to anticipate corrosion behavior of a wide range of materials under various operating conditions.
Critical forms of corrosion and their impact
Corrosion manifests in various forms, each driven by specific electrochemical and environmental factors. Understanding these forms is crucial for effective corrosion control:
Uniform corrosion occurs when metal surfaces corrode at a consistent rate, driven by anodic and cathodic reactions across the entire material surface. This form of corrosion leads to a steady thinning of materials, which can compromise the structural integrity of process equipment including pressure vessels, pipelines, reactors, separation units and transportation pipelines over time.
Pitting is a localized form of corrosion that creates small, but deep, cavities on metal surfaces. Chloride ions, commonly found in saltwater environments, often initiate pitting by breaking down passive oxide layers on materials of construction like stainless steels. Pitting can lead to catastrophic failures, especially in thin-walled components.
Crevice corrosion occurs in confined spaces where stagnant solutions can lead to a localized drop in pH and an increase in chloride concentration. This aggressive environment within the crevice can accelerate metal dissolution, often going undetected until significant damage has occurred.
Intergranular corrosion affects the grain boundaries of metals, often due to sensitization where chromium carbides precipitate out, depleting the surrounding areas of chromium. This form of corrosion is common in stainless steels exposed to certain thermal treatments and can lead to brittle fracture under stress.
SCC is the result of a combination of tensile stress and a corrosive environment, leading to the growth of cracks in materials. In environments containing species like chloride ions, high-temperature water, or hydrogen sulfide, SCC can propagate rapidly, leading to sudden and catastrophic failures in critical infrastructure.
Uniform corrosion occurs when metal surfaces corrode at a consistent rate, driven by anodic and cathodic reactions across the entire material surface. This form of corrosion leads to a steady thinning of materials, which can compromise the structural integrity of process equipment including pressure vessels, pipelines, reactors, separation units and transportation pipelines over time.
Pitting is a localized form of corrosion that creates small, but deep, cavities on metal surfaces. Chloride ions, commonly found in saltwater environments, often initiate pitting by breaking down passive oxide layers on materials of construction like stainless steels. Pitting can lead to catastrophic failures, especially in thin-walled components.
Crevice corrosion occurs in confined spaces where stagnant solutions can lead to a localized drop in pH and an increase in chloride concentration. This aggressive environment within the crevice can accelerate metal dissolution, often going undetected until significant damage has occurred.
Intergranular corrosion affects the grain boundaries of metals, often due to sensitization where chromium carbides precipitate out, depleting the surrounding areas of chromium. This form of corrosion is common in stainless steels exposed to certain thermal treatments and can lead to brittle fracture under stress.
SCC is the result of a combination of tensile stress and a corrosive environment, leading to the growth of cracks in materials. In environments containing species like chloride ions, high-temperature water, or hydrogen sulfide, SCC can propagate rapidly, leading to sudden and catastrophic failures in critical infrastructure.
