Elevated temperature corrosion of steel alloys in oil shale retorting environments

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · Proc. - Electrochem. Soc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5263003

Levy, A V; Slamovich, E

The corrosion of steel alloys in oil shale retorting environments is a function of the overall environment in the retort and the particular conditions that exist in very local areas. Corrosion rates of alloys in above-ground retorts where temperatures generally do not exceed 500 - 550/sup 0/C are acceptably low, even for 1018 plain carbon steel. Corrosion rates ranging from catastrophic to very low occur in in-situ type retorts as a function of the composition of the shale, the operating temperature, the degree of local contact between shale particles and the metal surfaces and the composition of the alloy. Above operating temperatures of 1000/sup 0/C even for short times as little as 30-40 hours, complete transformation of austenitic stainless steel tubing to complex scales of oxides, sulfides and their spinels can occur. At temperatures <900/sup 0/C very little attack occurs on alloys with >9% Cr. The principal corrodants in oil shale environments are sulfur and oxygen. Chromium in steel alloys promotes internal corrosion while chromium free plain carbon steel undergoes extensive external corrosion but no internal corrosion.

• Research Organization: Materials and Molecular Research Division, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California
• OSTI ID: 5263003
• Journal Information: Proc. - Electrochem. Soc.; (United States), Journal Name: Proc. - Electrochem. Soc.; (United States) Vol. 83-5; ISSN PESOD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040400* -- Oil Shales &amp; Tar Sands-- Oil Production
Recovery
&amp; Refining
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360105 -- Metals &amp; Alloys-- Corrosion &amp; Erosion
ALLOYS
AUSTENITIC STEELS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMIUM
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CORROSION
CORROSION PRODUCTS
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
CORROSIVE EFFECTS
DECOMPOSITION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MATERIALS
METALS
NONMETALS
OIL SHALES
OXYGEN
RETORTING
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
SULFUR
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS