The corrosive interaction of wet elemental sulfur with construction materials is reviewed emphasizing effects of alloy composition (carbon steels, ferritic steels, austenitic steels, ferritic-austenitic (duplex) steels, Ni- and Co-base alloys, titanium and its alloys), medium composition (salts, partial pressures of H2S and CO2, acetic acid), and environmental conditions (temperature (20-250°C), stress). A summary of relevant physical und chemical properties of elemental sulfur is given to provide the fundamental basis for the understanding of sulfur corrosion. The different corrosion mechanisms found in the literature are critically discussed. Considering all data available a mechanism is proposed explaining the electrochemical role of sulfur in the (physically) dissolved, solid, and liquid state. Methods for corrosion protection are outlined for carbon steels and corrosion resistent alloys (CRA).

Subject
Sulfur, Water, Corrosion rate, Nickel based alloys, Iron sulfides, Sodium chloride, Solubility, Corrosion reactions, Acidity, Steel, Elemental sulfur, Titanium alloys, Alloys
Keywords:
elemental sulfur, hydrogen sulfide, sour gas, carbon steels, low alloy steels, ferritic steels, austenitic steels, duplex steels, nickel-base alloys, cobalt-base alloys
© 1990 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
1990
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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