Design and corrosion

This chapter reviews principles of corrosion causes and control. Corrosion occurs in various forms and is promoted by a variety of causes, all related to process operating conditions. It is a continuous problem that can lead to contaminated process streams leading to poor product quality and unscheduled equipment shutdowns, which in turn leads to reduced production and high maintenance and equipment replacement costs. Minimizing corrosion is a key consideration for the designer and can be accomplished in two ways: proper material selection for apparatus and preventive maintenance practices. Materials evaluation and selection are fundamental considerations in engineering design. The design of any apparatus must be unified and result in a safe functional system. Materials used for each apparatus should form a well-coordinated and integrated entity, which should not only meet the requirements of the apparatus' functional utility, but also those of safety and product purity. Materials evaluation should be based only on actual data obtained at conditions as close as possible to intended operating environments. Prediction of a material's performance is most accurate when standard corrosion testing is done in the actual service environment.