Dominant factors affecting erosion-corrosion resistance of aluminum–brass pipelines

Abstract EN

The degradation processes of aluminum–brass (CuZn20Al2As) alloy pipes were investigated in stagnant and flowing environments of various compositions.

The experimental materials were randomly chosen aluminum–brass pipes, defined by the same standard but with slightly different chemical compositions, microstructures, and surface conditions.

These characteristics have a significant influence on corrosion and erosion-corrosion degradation.

To determine the most-dominant parameters affecting the resistance to degradation under different operating conditions, several corrosion and erosion-corrosion tests were performed.

The corrosion resistance was evaluated by potentiodynamic and exposure tests using a designed and constructed pipeline system to simulate the operation conditions of pipes in the cooling system of a power plant and allow three different flow rates at the same time.

Thus, it was possible to evaluate the influence of erosion corrosion on the same liquids at different flow rates while keeping all other experimental conditions identical.

The erosion-corrosion behaviors of the tested materials were evaluated in an original experimental device, and the obtained results made it possible to evaluate the degradation processes of the material characteristics under stagnant and flowing conditions.