Injectable Sodium Bentonite Inhibitors for Corrosion under Insulation
Publication: Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice
Volume 11, Issue 4
Abstract
Corrosion under insulation (CUI) presents a significant threat to the safe and economical operation of insulated metallic structures. This paper explores the use of sodium bentonite to inhibit CUI via direct injection at the insulation-structure interface. Immersion tests were used to evaluate the inhibitor efficiency of sodium bentonite associated with carbon steel in both seawater and insulation leachate solutions over a range of temperatures typically encountered in oil and gas gathering lines. A novel design is proposed for an apparatus capable of injecting liquid-phase corrosion inhibitors along the insulation-structure interface where CUI occurs. Mass loss results indicate that for carbon steel at temperatures between 60°C and 82.2°C, sodium bentonite produces an average corrosion inhibitor efficiency of 50.9% in synthetic seawater and 52.9% in insulation leachate solution. Isopropyl alcohol was identified as a suitable carrier liquid for sodium bentonite CUI inhibitors intended for injection on steel structures insulated with closed-cell polymeric foams.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge Hayden Maxwell for his substantial contribution to the design, prototype, and testing of the injector apparatus. Funding for this work was provided by the US DOT’s Pipeline Hazardous Materials and Safety Administration (PHMSA) via the Competitive Academic Agreement Program (CAAP).
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Published In
Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice
Volume 11 • Issue 4 • November 2020
Copyright
©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 6, 2020
Accepted: Apr 24, 2020
Published online: Jun 27, 2020
Published in print: Nov 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Nov 27, 2020
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