High temperature naphthenic acid corrosion of steel in high TAN refining media

Purpose - This paper aims to study the corrosion behavior of carbon steel and stainless steel in white oil with naphthenic acid under high temperature. Design/methodology/approach - The weight-loss method and surface analysis were used to study the corrosion behavior of steel in white oil with naphthenic acid. Findings - Naphthenic acids corrosion rates were directly related to experimental temperature, immersion time and total acid number (TAN). The activation energy was calculated and the process kinetics could be represented by Arrhenius-type equation. The relationship between the isothermal line in liquid phase and that in vapor phase at different TAN values had a significant distinction with the change of temperature. Originality/value - The findings have important implications for assessing the corrosivity of crude oils with high TAN value from various resources.