Materials Science Forum, Vol.461-464, 599-610, 2004
Predicting equipment lifetimes with high temperature corrosion data
This presentation summarizes the on-going development of an information system used to predict corrosion of metals and alloys by high temperature gases found in many different oil refining, petrochemical, power generation, and chemical processes. The databases currently represent about 13 million hours of exposure time for about 7,800 tests with 90 commercial alloys for a temperature range of 200 - 1,200degreesC. The data are the result of tests with well-defined conditions lasting thousands of hours. Oxidation has been emphasized with many exposures lasting several years of time. The corrosion data archived and the resulting corrosion predictions represent total metal penetration, which includes both surface recession and subsurface corrosion. The system manages corrosion data from well-defined exposures and determines corrosion product stabilities. Models used in the thermochemical predictions of corrosion product phase stabilities for all possible phases formed from combinations from the Fe-Ni-Cr-Co-C-O-S-N-H system have been compiled. Thermochemical data for all of the known phases based upon combinations of these elements have been analyzed to allow complete assessments of corrosion product stabilities. Use of these data allows prediction of corrosion product stabilities predicted to form at the scale/gas interface, which can then be used to infer the dominant corrosion mechanisms. Previous approaches, which have often used simplifying assumptions of pure and single component corrosion products, are no longer required. The stabilities of complex corrosion product phases or real alloys can now be calculated, assuming equilibrium. The system is used in corrosion research, alloy development, failure analysis, lifetime prediction, and selection of materials/alloys for equipment fabrication, equipment maintenance scheduling, and process operations evaluations. The corrosion mechanisms emphasized are oxidation, sulfidation, sulfidation/oxidation, carburization, and nitridation. The capabilities for managing corrosion data for Cl-2/HCl corrosion, metal dusting, and cyclic oxidation are under development.
Keywords:ASSET;sulfidation;high-temperature corrosion predictions;corrosion data compilation;engineering lifetime predictions;weight change;parabolic rate constant