Iverson, WP | Olson, GJ The corrosion of iron and steel in the form of storage tanks, pipelines, pumps, and other systems by sulfate-reducing bacteria is a serious problem faced by the petroleum industry. Recently, sulfate-reducing bacteria have been suspected of contributing to failure of certain enhanced (tertiary) oil recovery operations, possibly by degrading polymers [...]

Moskowitz, L N Commercially available thermal spray coatings have seen limited use in corrosion applications due to the presence of interconnecting porosity and oxide networks. Use of vacuum chambers or post-treatments can eliminate these defects, but these methods are impractical on a large scale. If similar high quality coatings could be produced in atmosphere and [...]

The Petroleum industry contains a wide variety of corrosive environment s. Some of these, many are unique to this industry. Thus it is convenient to group all these environments together. Corrosion problems occur in the petroleum industry in at least three general areas: (1) production, (2) transportation and storage, and (3) refinery operations. Production. Oil [...]

The production and use of petroleum has given rise to several environmental problems. Toxic crude oil can be spilled on land or in water, poisoning plants and animals. The burning of fuels derived from petroleum releases toxic gases that pollute the air. Some scientists even believe that the burning of petroleum fuels contributes to global [...]

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is caused by the simultaneous effects of tensile stress and a specific corrosive environment. Stresses may be due to applied loads, residual stresses from the manufacturing process, or a combination of both. Cross sections of SCC frequently show branched cracks. This river branching pattern is unique to SCC and is used [...]

Protective coatings are the most commonly used method of corrosion control. Protective coatings can be metallic, such as the galvanized steel shown below, or they can be applied as a liquid “paint.” Most of the research and testing of protective coatings at the Kennedy Space Center is related to paint-like protective coatings. (Courtesy of www.corrosion-doctors.org) [...]

Materials Selection Most large metal structures are made from carbon steel-the world’s most useful structural material. Carbon steel is inexpensive, readily available in a variety of forms, and can be machined, welded, and formed into many shapes. This large statue by Pablo Picasso in front of the Chicago city hall is made from a special [...]

Hydrogen can cause a number of corrosion problems. Hydrogen embrittlement is a problem with high-strength steels, titanium, and some other metals. Control is by eliminating hydrogen from the environment or by the use of resistant alloys. Hydrogen blistering can occur when hydrogen enters steel as a result of the reduction reaction on a metal cathode. [...]

Galvanic Corrosion Galvanic corrosion is an electrochemical action of two dissimilar metals in the presence of an electrolyte and an electron conductive path. It occurs when dissimilar metals are in contact. It is recognizable by the presence of a buildup of corrosion at the joint between the dissimilar metals. For example, when aluminum alloys or [...]

Metals corrode because we use them in environments where they are chemically unstable. Only copper and the precious metals (gold, silver, platinum, etc.) are found in nature in their metallic state. All other metals, to include iron-the metal most commonly used-are processed from minerals or ores into metals which are inherently unstable in their environments. [...]