Abstract
Subgroup "B" of NACE Committee T-1G-17 is the Media Committee of T-1G-17. Various constituents of sour (containing Hydrogen Sulfide) media associated with the oilpatch were examined by Subgroup "B". This paper shows some of the elastomer immersion test work accomplished in this Subgroup concerning elastomer contact with one of the constituents, corrosion inhibitors in their liquid carrier. They may be encountered in sour media during the production, recovery and transportation of petroleum products. Corrosion inhibitors are widely used in the oilpatch and therefore must be considered as a part of the total media wherever they are used. What effects some of them have on elastomers, primarily as molded O-Rings, were evaluated by Subgroup members which included some manufacturers of molded O-Rings and a valve manufacturer. Some concentrations of (1) oil and water soluble corrosion inhibitors commercially available and (2) developmental NACE Committee T-1G-17 Group "B" corrosion inhibitors were evaluated by their degree of attack upon elastomeric O-Ring compounds in immersion (following ASTM, D471 and D2240 methods as closely as possible) testing. After the Committee Subgroup tests established the developmental corrosion inhibitor formulations were as aggressive as the commercial types in attacking the elastomers being evaluated, no further work with commercial types of corrosion inhibitors was conducted. This paper illustrates, by immersion test results, the importance of choosing the correct type and formulation of elastomer used to provide good resistance to one of the constituents, corrosion inhibitors, associated with sour media.
