Abstract
Erosion corrosion performance of API 5L-X65 carbon steel was investigated at three different impingement velocities (3, 6 & 12 m/s), five different angles (15, 30, 45, 60, & 90°), and with/without solid particles (average particle size of 314 µm). The experiments were conducted in 0.2 M NaCl solution at room temperature for a duration of 24 h and the results showed that the maximum erosion corrosion rate was observed at 45° irrespective of the velocity. The highest erosion corrosion rate at 45° was due to the balance between the shear and normal impact stress at this angle. Ploughing, deep craters, and micro-forging/plastic deformation were found to be the main erosion corrosion mechanisms. The maximum wear scar depth measured using optical profilometery was found to be 51 µm (average) at an impingement angle of 45°.
Highlights
Erosion-corrosion is a combined material degradation mechanism in which material is removed by the mechanical process of erosion coupled with the electrochemical process of corrosion
This problem gets more aggravated by the presence of high amounts of solid/sand particles of different morphologies in the flowing fluid [7,8]. These high velocity solid particles strike the stationary and rotating equipment in the presence of fluid mixed with water and/or oxygen and cause unplanned plant shutdowns, resulting in multibillion-dollar loss [9]
The maximum and minimum corrosion rates were observed at 45◦ and 90◦ angles respectively. It is reported in the published literature that both the shear and normal stress play a vital role during fluid impingement and shear stress is dominant at lower angles and vice versa [8]
Summary
Erosion-corrosion is a combined material degradation mechanism in which material is removed by the mechanical process of erosion coupled with the electrochemical process of corrosion. Erosion corrosion is ranked as the 5th most common degradation issue in fluid handling systems (pumps, compressors, piping systems in offshore oil/gas facilities, desalination plants, etc.) and has direct consequences in terms of equipment safety [2,3,4,5,6]. This problem gets more aggravated by the presence of high amounts of solid/sand particles of different morphologies in the flowing fluid [7,8]. The seawater in desalination plants, cooling systems, fire-fighting systems, and power generation industries is very corrosive and if present together with solid particles, can reduce the equipment design life significantly by the combined effect of erosion and corrosion
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