The primary goal of many chemical additives used in petroleum refining is to ultimately prevent corrosion. Neutralizing agents, filmers, desalting aids, detergents, dispersants, antioxidants, H2S scavengers, oxygen scavengers as well as other treatment chemicals often impact corrosion in refining equipment. Unfortunately, the decision to choose a particular chemical is often made without hard data to support the chemical's effectiveness. This paper describes several simple tests used to evaluate additive effectiveness.
Keywords: Desalting, antioxidants, antifoulants, H2S scavengers, corrosion inhibitors, naphthenic acid, fouling.