Refineries
Polyisbutene in the Refining Industry
Over the years, various parts of refineries such the structural steel, storage facilities and other assets have undergone the stresses of environmental factors resulting in corrosion which then degrades the integrity leading to increased risks of serious accidents, loss of produce, leaks, safety hazards, unexpected shutdowns and down time. All of which negatively impacts the refineries economically.
The refining industry is regarded as high-risk because refineries are large and complex sites that carry out numerous operations while operating at high levels of pressure and temperature. This combination of factors makes refineries vulnerable to a variety of corrosion phenomena, which can result in serious accidents that lead to the loss of process fluid containment and have an impact on workers, the environment, and the economy. Corrosion can cause disruptions in refinery operations such as unplanned shutdowns, leaks, and product loss. If the proper mitigation methods were not used, it is common to find general corrosion, localized pitting corrosion, hydrogen induced cracking, erosion-corrosion, microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC), sulfide stress cracking, stress corrosion cracking (intergranular or transgranular), chloride stress corrosion cracking, corrosion fatigue, high temperature corrosion, hydrogen flaking, corrosion under insulation, metal dusting, carburization, and graphitization throughout the refinery equipment.