Field electrochemical measurements of corrosion characteristics of materials in hypersaline geothermal brine

Technical Report · Mon Dec 12 23:00:00 EST 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5177464· OSTI ID:5177464

Harrar, J E; McCright, R D; Goldberg, A

A flow cell (with appropriate accessories) was developed for use in short-term testing of the corrosion behavior of materials in approximately 100{sup 0}C, hypersaline geothermal brine. The apparatus was designed to accommodate commercial (Petrolite) corrosion measurement equipment and conducted experiments on-line at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory Test Station in the Salton Sea Geothermal Field. The apparatus also permitted direct readings of corrosion potentials, solution redox potential (E{sub h}), brine flow rate, pH, and temperature. Estimates of general corrosion rates were obtained by the linear polarization resistance technique and from measurements of complete potentiodynamic polarization curves. The latter also afforded predictions of pitting susceptibilities of active-passive type materials. Twenty-two alloys (with various heat treatments) were tested and readily grouped according to general corrosion resistances in acidified hypersaline (approximately 4 M chloride) brine. Especially promising in regard to corrosion resistance-vs-cost is the series of low Cr--Mo steels. Prescaling of materials in unacidified (pH approximately 5.7) brine prior to exposure to acidified (pH 2 to 4.5) brine was found to be beneficial in reducing corrosion rates at 100{sup 0}C.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5177464
• Report Number(s): UCRL-52376
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
150903* -- Geothermal Engineering-- Corrosion
Scaling & Materials Development
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360105 -- Metals & Alloys-- Corrosion & Erosion
ACIDIFICATION
ALLOYS
BRINES
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM STEELS
CHROMIUM-MOLYBDENUM STEELS
CORROSION
CORROSION PROTECTION
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
CORROSIVE EFFECTS
DIAGRAMS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
FLOW RATE
FLOWSHEETS
FLUIDS
GEOTHERMAL FIELDS
GEOTHERMAL FLUIDS
Geothermal Legacy
HIGH TEMPERATURE
IMAGES
INFORMATION
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
KINETICS
MATERIALS TESTING
PH VALUE
POLARIZATION
REACTION KINETICS
REDOX POTENTIAL
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SALTON SEA GEOTHERMAL FIELD
SCALING
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
TABLES
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
TESTING
TITANIUM ALLOYS