Mechanism of High Temperature Corrosion by Model Naphthenic Acids
Naphthenic acid (NAP) corrosion is one of the major concerns for corrosion engineers in refineries, particularly with the increasing acidity in “opportunity crudes”. However, complex compositions of NAP in crude oil make it difficult to evaluate accurately their corrosive behavior. In the present study, several model acids, including 4-phenylbutyric acid, 1-naphthoic acid, and 4-cyclohexyl pentanoic acid, have been tested in lab scale experiments previous applied to real crude fractions. Pretreatment/challenge protocol tests the corrosive behavior of the model acids under temperature and velocity ranges close to those encountered in refineries. This work demonstrates that the pretreatment of carbon steel and 9Cralloy with model acids yields iron oxide scales with different morphology and chemical composition as determined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). It is postulated that the formation of the iron oxide scale resulted from the decomposition of iron naphthenate on the surface at high temperatures.
Analysis of corrosion scales formed on steel at high temperatures in hydrocarbons containing model naphthenic acids and sulfur compounds
Corrosive naphthenic acids and sulfur compounds in crude oils present a major challenge for refineries from a corrosion perspective. Although it is accepted that some sulfur compounds may form protective FeS scales on the metal surface and deter corrosion, attempting to correlate the characteristics of FeS scale with its protective properties has not been successful. Given the complex chemical compositions of real crudes, model sulfur compound and model naphthenic acids were used to mimic the corrosion by crude fractions in the present study. The iron sulfide scale formed by the model sulfur/acid compounds was challenged by naphthenic acids under high‐velocity conditions to examine its protectiveness against corrosion. Moreover, the scale was analyzed with transmission electron microscope/energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy technique, and a layer of iron oxide formed on the 5Cr steel was found when naphthenic acids were present in the solution. The iron oxide layer appeared to be important for maintaining protection against naphthenic acid corrosion, and further analysis revealed that it was composed of magnetite. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Using Activity Theory in Developing Instructial Tools for Project Management Studies
Competence and skills of the project manager are significant to project success. The skills needed in project managersâ work cannot be learned only by reading the books or a lecture hall; one learns them by practice. Therefore, an important challenge for educational institutions is to develop pedagogical practices that allow students to participate in working life projects and to confront real-life problems. Project-based learning (PBL) offers a model that enables students to practice the skills and competences needed in working life projects by utilizing real-world work assignments in time-limited projects. Using PBL method alone does not necessarily guarantee learning result. In order to be successful, PBL method requires effective and competent supervision and guidance of students as well as appropriate tools for instruction. In this study the concepts from activity theory (AT) are applied to development tools for supervising project-based learning.