Evaluation of corrosion caused by the use of in natura biogas in steam generator boilers of carbon steel structural elements

Abstract

This work evaluates the corrosion process caused by the presence of hydrogen sulfide in the biogas in natura, in steels commonly used in the construction of steam generator boilers, simulating conditions close to those found on the real application of these materials, exposing the test bodies directly to biogas in natura, flame of combustion and gases resulting from the combustion of this biofuel, in chimney. After 314 hours of exposure under the specified conditions, the corroded surfaces of ASTM A178 and ASTM A516 were analyzed, by optical microscopy, electronic scanning microscopy, X-ray diffraction and surface hardness. The determination of corrosion rates for each test condition and each material tested can be used as a parameter for the determination of the minimum tolerance for mechanical stability, in the calculation of the minimum required thickness of the structural elements of the steam generator boilers fed to biogas.