Risk assessment and evaluation of materials commonly used in desalination plants subjected to stress corrosion cracking in polluted marine environment

Abstract

Several copper-nickel based alloys commonly used as condenser and heat exchanger materials in desalination plants were evaluated against stress corrosion cracking (SCC). The evaluation against the SCC was conducted in a simulated pollution impact of the oil spill and oil fires in the marine environment of Kuwait. Copper alloys such as 90% Cu-10% Ni and 70% Cu-30% Ni were used in this investigation in natural seawater polluted with 200–3120 ppm sulfides at a temperature range between 25–70°C, in order to simulate the impact of the oil spill and oil fires in marine environment of Kuwait after the Gulf War. The study implemented electrochemical tools as well as risk assessment models in order to evaluate the materials performance and efficiency in such environment.