Corrosion of glasslined water heaters in sea costal environment

Abstract EN

The design life of glass-lined water heaters in the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia has been reduced from twelve years to two years.

The outer walls of the heaters are subjected to intensive corrosion under the insulation which penetrates to the inner wall of the glass-lined tank.

It is not possible to protect the tanks using a magnesium anode because of the high total amount of dissolved solids.

The glass- lined tanks can be cathodically protected by a current of (0.1 x 10"3 mA/cm2) through a small unit fixed to the heater.

Keywords: Cathodic protection, Impressed current, Insulation, Intergranular attack, Leachant, Mils per year (corrosion rate), Potentiodynamic polarization, Polarization resistance, Pitting, Total dissolved solids.

Gravimetric concentration factor