Corrosion Fundamentals

• Corrosion Fundamentals
• Why Metals Corrode
• Electrochemistry
• The Nature of Matter
• Electrochemical Cells
• Forms of Corrosion
• Uniform Corrosion
• Galvanic Corrosion
• Concentration Cell Corrosion
• Pitting Corrosion
• Crevice Corrosion
• Filiform Corrosion
• Intergranular Corrosion
• Stress Corrosion Cracking
• Corrosion Fatigue
• Fretting Corrosion
• Erosion Corrosion
• Dealloying
• Hydrogen Damage
• Corrosion in Concrete
• Microbial Corrosion
• Corrosion Control
• Design
• Materials Selection
• Protective Coatings
• Inhibitors and Other Means of Environmental Alteration
• Corrosion Allowances
• Cathodic Protection
• Sources of Additional Information

Erosion corrosion is the result of a combination of an aggressive chemical environment and high fluid-surface velocities. This can be the result of fast fluid flow past a stationary object, such as the case with the oil-field check valve shown on the left below, or it can result from the quick motion of an object in a stationary fluid, such as happens when a ship's propeller churns the ocean.

Surfaces which have undergone erosion corrosion are generally fairly clean, unlike the surfaces from many other forms of corrosion.

Erosion corrosion can be controlled by the use of harder alloys (including flame-sprayed or welded hard facings) or by using a more corrosion resistant alloy. Alterations in fluid velocity and changes in flow patterns can also reduce the effects of erosion corrosion.

Erosion corrosion is often the result of the wearing away of a protective scale or coating on the metal surface. The oil field production tubing shown above on the right corroded when the pressure on the well became low enough to cause multiphase fluid flow. The impact of collapsing gas bubbles caused the damage at joints where the tubing was connected and turbulence was greater.

Many people assume that erosion corrosion is associated with turbulent flow. This is true, because all practical piping systems require turbulent flow-the fluid would not flow fast enough if lamellar (nonturbulent) flow were maintained. Most, if not all, erosion corrosion can be attributed to multiphase fluid flow. The check valve on the left above failed due to sand and other particles in an otherwise noncorrosive fluid. The tubing on the right failed due to the pressure differences caused when gas bubbles collapsed against the pipe wall and destroyed the protective mineral scale that was limiting corrosion.