Historically, amine contamination in crude units has produced only infrequent problems. However, more recently, the negative effects of amine contamination on crude oil processing and on crude unit reliability have become more prevalent. Fouling and corrosion in the crude unit as a result of these unintended constituents can lead to reduced energy efficiencies, reduced unit feed rates, increased maintenance costs and possible safety risks. Options do exist to manage these problems, but the cost associated with mitigation can be substantial. This paper discusses common amine sources and amine identification methods, the equipment commonly impacted and the steps which can be taken to address the challenge of amine contamination.

Subject
Acids, Salt formation, Water, Contamination, Salts, Refineries, Acidity, Amines, Desalting, Crude, Towers, Crude units, Oil
Keywords:
amines, chloride salts, deposition, crude unit overhead corrosion, fouling
© 2006 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).
2006
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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