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Corrosion
Control and Prevention
Corrosion Prevention
 Use corrosion resistant alloys
 Adjust system pH
 Apply protective coatings
 Apply chemical corrosion inhibitor programs
▪ Passivation
▪ Maintenance Treatment Program
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Corrosion Resistant Materials

 Use the materials that resist

against condition, operational
and environmental of the system
 Application of high grade alloys
is more recommended
 Typically is not practical and
high initial cost
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Protective Coating
 To separate a metal from the water by using coatings or
inert barriers
 Type of coating
▪ Organic
▪ Metallic
▪ Vitreous: Porcelain enamel and ceramics

 Can be an excellent preventive method in some areas of

cooling systems, especially for non-heat transfer areas, if
applied and maintained properly
 Coatings can be damaged during equipment maintenance,
or during service under mechanical stresses, providing
sites for corrosion to occur under the coating, just like
under-deposit corrosion
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Water Chemistry Adjustment - pH

 The pH influences the solubility of metal ions greatly.
▪ The solubility of iron and copper increases as pH decreases.
▪ Other metals like aluminum and zinc can experience higher
corrosion rates at both high and low pH.
 Corrosion Inhibitor Classification
 Anodic Inhibitor
▪ Chromate, Nitrite, Molybdate, Orthophosphate , Silicate &
Bicarbonate

 Cathodic Inhibitor
▪ Polyphosphate, Phosphonate, Zinc, PSO & Carbonate

 Combination of Anodic-Cathodic Inhibitors

 Film forming inhibitors/ Organic Inhibitors
▪ Soluble oil and azoles
Non Oxidizing Anodic Inhibitor
Mechanisms & Role of Polymer
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Non Oxidizing Anodic Inhibitor

Molybdate Orthophosphate
 Form an insoluble film reported  Form iron phosphate complex
to be iron molybdate that catalyzes the oxidation of
Fe+2 to the FeOOH
 Weak oxidant (require oxygen)
 Require oxygen
 Resistance to chloride –
improve pitting  Typically 10-18 ppm PO4 at
neutral condition
 >200 ppm as MoO4 (much lower
level > 10 ppm; if combined with  Need polymer to stabilize and
Phosphonate/Zn) prevent precipitation
 Very soluble. Non precipitation
Sodium
Orthophosphate
 Not require hardness and
alkalinity
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Cathodic Inhibitor Mechanisms

 Cathodic barrier films are generally formed by the OH-
produced by the cathodic reaction.
 The localized high pH (measured as high as pH 10-11) at
the cathodic sites will precipitate various materials that can
create an inhibitor film
Challenge of Cathodic Inhibitor

Precipitated by pH Driven Precipitated by Thermal Driven

Self Limiting Not Self Limiting
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Combination of Anodic & Cathodic Inhibitor

 Combinations of both anodic and cathodic inhibitors
generally provide the best protection.
 These combinations are sometimes called “synergistic”
because the combination provides lower corrosion rates
than either inhibitor could alone, even at high levels
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Metal Passivation
Four Main Steps of Passivation
1. Prepare the metal surfaces so that it will receptive to the
formation of inhibitor film
2. Rapidly establish a inhibitor film before flash
corrosion can occur
3. Complete the metal passivation with high level of
treatment
4. Manage the transition to maintenance program
Metal Surface Preparation
 Removalof mill scale (oil, grease, Fe2O3; etc) in new
system can be done in conjunction with passivation
process
 Cleaningof old system that covered by scale,
corrosion product etc. should be done separately
(before passivation)
Establish the Passive Film (“Passivation”)

 Once the system has been

cleaned, steel surfaces will
corrode very rapidly (flash
corrosion)
 The surface metal should be
passivated before its occurred
 Rapid passivation is achieved
with high dosage of
pretreatment (passivation)
chemicals
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Completing the Metal Passivation Step

 Once the metal surfaces are passivated, the corrosion
inhibitor for maintenance treatment must be established.
 Standard treatment program is applied at high inhibitor
concentrations to form the corrosion inhibitor film over the
metal surface of a cooling system.
 The goal is to establish the long term passivation layer
before the dosage is reduced to maintenance levels.
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