Analysis of corrosion failure of petrochemical pipe elbow

Corrosive failure is frequently found in petrochemical pipelines which may lead to the leakage of the pipes and even the shutdown of the system. However, the corrosion mechanism is still not well understood due to the complex service environment, e.g. the corrosive fluids and the long term operation at higher temperature. The corrosion behaviour of a petrochemical pipe elbow was evaluated via visual examination and microanalysis with optical microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM) together with energy dispersive analysis X-ray (EDAX). The corresponding corrosion mechanisms, the combination of grain boundary attach and the crevice attach together with the flow-accelerated corrosion, were proposed consequently.