A test program, part of a major project, was carried out to develop and evaluate a probe that would allow fast hydrogen permeation readings and also Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, EIS, measurements in refineries. The program evaluated how well EIS and permeation techniques were able to distinguish between wet H2S alkaline environments with different corrosion and hydrogen charging severity. It was established that both, EIS and permeation curves, should be
used together to identify the environment severity. The addition of cyanide to the alkaline wet H2S environment caused a high permeation current and a closed capacitive loop in the Nyquist plot of the EIS diagram. The depletion of cyanide caused the permeation current to decrease and the EIS curve in the Nyquist plot to open, indicating a non-corrosive environment. The addition of H2O2 to the alkaline environment caused a depletion of the cyanide content and therefore decreased the permeation current even when the current was already low. In this case, the EIS curve had a capacitive loop type, which denotes a corrosive process not followed by hydrogen uptake. The device has been used for this last year in one refinery and the curves were similar to those obtained in laboratory. The refinery has been able to decrease the amount of wash water of a FCC light end recovery unit from 7.5% of the feedstock to 3.5%, with substantial associated cost savings
KEYWORDS: hydrogen, permeation, corrosion, monitoring, H2S, sour water, damage