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51318-11008-Impact of Wash Water Injection on Corrosion Control in a Gas Recovery Unit

Picture for Impact of Wash Water Injection on Corrosion Control in a Gas Recovery Unit
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Continuous wash water injection in gas recovery units (GRU) is a best practice for corrosion control. The case study describes failures that occurred in the wash water injection system.

Product Number: 51318-11008-SG
Author: Chloe Lins / Cesar Espinoza / Sudhakar Mahajanam / Bruce Copple / Joanna Folse / Gillian Sayegh / Melissa Meneses
Publication Date: 2018
Industry: Process Industries
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$20.00
$20.00

Continuous wash water injection in gas recovery units (GRU) has always been recognized as a best practice method for corrosion control. Among other functions, wash water injection in these systems traps cyanides and carries them away with the stream, thereby efficiently reducing the negative impact of cyanides on the system.

The main damage mechanisms likely to impact GRUs are sour water corrosion (SWC), hydrogen induced cracking (HIC), and stress oriented hydrogen induced cracking (SOHIC). All these damage mechanisms are closely related to the presence of H2S in an aqueous environment. Presence of cyanides in the system exacerbates these corrosion and cracking tendencies, since cyanides are known to inhibit the combination of atomic hydrogen to form molecular hydrogen (H2) gas. If this combination reaction does not take place, the steel wall becomes saturated with atomic hydrogen. The permeated atoms may eventually combine at microstructural defects and cause wet H2S damage, which could lead to cracking and through-wall penetration.

The case study described in this paper discusses failures that occurred in the wash water injection system. These failures caused the GRU to operate in the absence of wash water which meant that cyanides were not efficiently trapped or removed. The onset of hydrogen permeation was detected and measured using field inspections and hydrogen permeation probes. Condition monitoring was also performed downstream in the amine recovery unit (ARU) by tracking the level of heat stable salts. These measures helped reactivate the wash water injection program in a timely manner and avoid potential future failures downstream in the GRU compression systems.

Keywords: Sour water corrosion, HIC, SOHIC, wet H2S damage, cyanides, wash water, hydrogen permeation, heat stable salts, HSS

Continuous wash water injection in gas recovery units (GRU) has always been recognized as a best practice method for corrosion control. Among other functions, wash water injection in these systems traps cyanides and carries them away with the stream, thereby efficiently reducing the negative impact of cyanides on the system.

The main damage mechanisms likely to impact GRUs are sour water corrosion (SWC), hydrogen induced cracking (HIC), and stress oriented hydrogen induced cracking (SOHIC). All these damage mechanisms are closely related to the presence of H2S in an aqueous environment. Presence of cyanides in the system exacerbates these corrosion and cracking tendencies, since cyanides are known to inhibit the combination of atomic hydrogen to form molecular hydrogen (H2) gas. If this combination reaction does not take place, the steel wall becomes saturated with atomic hydrogen. The permeated atoms may eventually combine at microstructural defects and cause wet H2S damage, which could lead to cracking and through-wall penetration.

The case study described in this paper discusses failures that occurred in the wash water injection system. These failures caused the GRU to operate in the absence of wash water which meant that cyanides were not efficiently trapped or removed. The onset of hydrogen permeation was detected and measured using field inspections and hydrogen permeation probes. Condition monitoring was also performed downstream in the amine recovery unit (ARU) by tracking the level of heat stable salts. These measures helped reactivate the wash water injection program in a timely manner and avoid potential future failures downstream in the GRU compression systems.

Keywords: Sour water corrosion, HIC, SOHIC, wet H2S damage, cyanides, wash water, hydrogen permeation, heat stable salts, HSS

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