Materials selection for produced water based on electrochemical parameters and chemical composition Index

Abstract

Materials selection criteria is a challenging step in the design of global industrial facilities operating with aggressive environments in which corrosion resistance is a basic requirement. In this work, the selection of materials to be used in a produced water environment is presented. The main goal was to develop an integrated methodology considering not only the PREN but also critical environmental characteristics, together with electrochemical parameters obtained from an experimental approach. Three different classes of produced water were considered and temperature and dissolved oxygen conditions were controlled. The candidate materials were selected based on two classes: Carbon steel and Stainless Steels and Alloys. Gravimetric and electrochemical methods were used. Results obtained for carbon steel revealed that assessment based on electrochemical polarization and gravimetric methods were required. Results obtained with stainless steels and alloys based on PREN calculations would indicate an order that does not correspond to validation via electrochemical tests. However, electrochemical methods show that the same material can be considered acceptable or not, within limit values of parameters that came out from electrochemical tests, that would not be affected by the PREN.