Effect of Acetic Acid, pH and Meg on the CO₂ Top of the Line Corrosion

This research work presents a study of Top of the Line Corrosion (TLC) on carbon steels in the presence of carbon dioxide and acetic acid. The influence of different parameters such as the presence of mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) and the use of pH control were studied in a 4” diameter flow loop. Two sets of experiments were conducted; one at 70°C, high CO₂ partial pressure and a “critical” condensation rate and another one at 80°C, low CO₂ partial pressure and a high condensation rate. Weight loss techniques and surface analysis were used to evaluate the corrosion rate and products. It was found that the presence of HAc at the concentrations evaluated does not affect the general corrosion rate at the top of the line. Top of the line corrosion rates correlate with the De Waard / Lotz estimate of 10% of bottom of the line rates¹⁵. It is believed that the corrosion mechanism is still controlled by CO₂ partial pressure at the experimental conditions evaluated in this study. The presence of MEG has not shown any effect on TLC due to the fact that the condensation rate was kept constant. The use of pH control in the supply is believed to limit the amount of HAc in the condensed water. No clear evidence of localized corrosion or pits can be reported at this stage of the study due to the short time of exposure.