Keeping Corrosion at Bay

http://www.che.com/news/Keeping-Corrosion-at-Bay_5725.html

Given the recent focus on cost control, it’s likely that chemical processors will suffer sticker shock when they learn that industry spends $276 billion annually on corrosion prevention, monitoring and repair. Even more abrasive is the fact that this figure does not include the cost of downtime or accidents resulting from corrosion damage. However, as capital spending allowances continue to come under tighter scrutiny, asset management and sustainability become crucial, and installing the right corrosion monitoring system can help bolster these efforts, while actually controlling corrosion prevention, monitoring and repair costs.

As the economy is slow to rebound, there are two key phrases in the chemical process industries (CPI): asset management and sustainability, notes Michael McElroy, business development manager with Pepperl + Fuchs (P+F; Twinsburg, Ohio). “People are paying more attention to anything related to reliability and sustainability, especially when it concerns safety and environmental discharges. And, all of these hot-button topics are affected by corrosion,” he says. “To ensure both proper management of assets and sustainability of equipment, processors must know the condition of their piping, tanks, valves, pumps and other assets. They must know when they need maintenance to avoid shutdowns or accidents. And, corrosion monitoring is an integral part of these focus areas.”

Corrosion monitoring perks are many. They range from high-value benefits (such as accident and shutdown avoidance) to mid-range value advantages (including optimizing the life of equipment by not having extensive wear) to lower-range, but still significant, value that stems from knowing when and what kinds of maintenance are actually needed based on knowledgeable predictions (instead of replacing parts on a time-based schedule) to recognizing and maintaining the sweet spot of corrosion inhibiting chemicals.