The role of different surface damages in corrosion process in alkaline sour media

Abstract By applying different electrochemical methodologies to 1018 carbon steel/different electrolytic media interfaces, surfaces with generalised and blistered damages, commonly present in the oil refinery catalytic plants, were obtained. Afterwards, a freshly polished carbon steel surface as well as the damaged surfaces were characterised by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). The SEM results reveal that the damaged surfaces present films with different physical properties. In spite of the surface modification, the corrosion mechanism of these interfaces in a medium simulating catalytic plants condensates of the refineries in Mexico (0.1 M (NH4)2S, 0.4 mM NaCN (10 ppm CN−), pH=8.8) turned out to be the same. It was also found that the corrosion process presents the following steps: charge transfer resistance of steel oxidation in the metal/corrosion product film interface and the diffusion processes of Fe2+ and Ho ions through the corrosion product film. It was demonstrated that when there was no damage on the surface (freshly polished surface), a homogeneous film was formed instantaneously upon introducing carbon steel into the sour media. The corrosion process in this film occurs in three stages. On the surface with generalised corrosion the three stages are favoured, particularly that of atomic hydrogen process (inducing blistering). Meanwhile, the blistered surface presents a higher charge resistance of steel oxidation and the Fe2+ and atomic hydrogen diffusions through the corrosion products are slower than those presented on the other surface states.