Stainless Steel in Thermal Desalination and Brine Treatment: Current Status and Prospects

Desalination is considered one of the most viable and technically feasible strategies for the production of freshwater from saline solutions (brackish water, seawater and brine). Thousands of membrane and thermal desalination plants operate daily in many countries around the world, with thermal desalination plants being more advantageous especially in areas with cheap energy. Stainless steel is a reliable material choice for thermal desalination plants due to excellent properties such as stability and minimum maintenance requirements. However, corrosion can cause catastrophic failures in stainless steel due to high temperatures and corrosive environments. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of stainless steel grades (austenitic, super austenitic, duplex, super duplex and hyper duplex) that have been and can be used in thermal desalination and brine treatment applications and discuss their opportunities and challenges. In terms of mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, the grades of stainless steel are compared. Thus, for each grade, an application area is suggested to minimize the possibility of material failure. Furthermore, this review discusses recent trends in stainless steel corrosion control and anti-corrosion materials and methods.