H2S: http://www.trconsultinggroup.com/safety/msds/h2s.

pdf

http://msds.chem.ox.ac.uk/HY/hydrogen_sulfide.html

http://www.mathesongas.com/pdfs/msds/MAT11210.pdf

http://www.chemadvisor.com/Matheson/database/msds/MAT11210000220003.PDF

CO2 : http://www.chemadvisor.com/Matheson/database/msds/00233326000220003.PDF

Amine: http://www.chemadvisor.com/Matheson/database/msds/MAT00035000800003.PDF

High demand in energy source i.e. petroleum, LNG, etc leads to high pricing of these sources. This has
given addition incentive to explore those sour field. Sour field being Oil or gas contains high H2S which potentially
lead to material cracking.

What are the problem or concerns related to H2S ?

Toxic
First and far most important concern related to H2S is high toxicity. Human exposure of H2S at high concentration
within a short period could lead to fatal.

Environment
H2S release to atmosphere would mix and dissolve in moisture and form acid rain which is corrosive and create
human health concerns.

Corrosion & Stress Cracking

i)SulphideStressCorrosionCracking(SSCC)
H2S dissolved in water to form weak acid promote corrosion and form free hydrogen. Free Hydrogen will penetrate
the metal, reduce ductility of metal and potentially lead to stress failure below it yield stress, results Sulphide Stress
Corrosion Cracking (SSCC).
Sulfide stress corrosion cracking (SSCC) is cracking of metal involving corrosion and tensile stress (residual and/or
applied) in the presence of water and H2S. SSC is a form of hydrogen stress cracking (HSC) and involves
embrittlement of the metal by atomic hydrogen that is produced by acid corrosion on the metal surface. Hydrogen
uptake is promoted in the presence of sulfides. The atomic hydrogen can diffuse into the metal, reduce ductility and
increase susceptibility to cracking. High strength metallic materials and hard weld zones are prone to SSC. (Source :
NACE MR 0175)

Apart from SSCC, H2S also cause other cracking, including stress corrosion cracking (SCC), hydrogen-induced
cracking (HIC) and stepwise cracking (SWC), stress-oriented hydrogen induced cracking (SOHIC), soft zone cracking
(SZC) and galvanically induced hydrogen stress cracking.

Hydrogen Stress Cracking (HSC)

HSC refer to cracking that results from the presence of hydrogen in a metal and tensile stress (residual and/or
applied). HSC describes cracking in metals that are not sensitive to SSC but which may be embrittled by hydrogen
when galvanically coupled, as the cathode, to another metal that is corroding actively as an anode. The term
galvanically induced HSC has been used for this mechanism of cracking.*

http://webwormcpt.blogspot.com/2008/06/what-are-concerns-related-to-h2s.html
Pitting Corrosion on Metal Surface
Pitting is one of the most destructive forms of corrosion as it will potential cause equipment failures due to
perforation / penetration. pitting generally occurs on metal surfaces protected by oxide film such as Stainless steel,
aluminum, etc. Typically for boiler and feed water system, pitting corrosion rate increase dramatically with the
increase of oxygen content in the fluid.

Pitting can occur in

any metal surfaces. Following are some pictures of pitting corrosion.

Pitting Corrosion on Metal Surface
Pitting is one of the most destructive forms of corrosion as it will potential cause equipment failures due to
perforation / penetration. pitting generally occurs on metal surfaces protected by oxide film such as Stainless steel,
aluminum, etc. Typically for boiler and feed water system, pitting corrosion rate increase dramatically with the
increase of oxygen content in the fluid.

Pitting can occur in any metal surfaces. Following are some pictures of pitting corrosion.

Pitting corrosion on external pipe surface

Pitting corrosion on external pipe surface

 H2S Pitting corrosion on internal pipe surface

Co2 Pitting corrosion on internal pipe surface

Mechanism
Lets look at figure below, oxygen rich fluid in contact with metal surface (at the top of
the pit) will becomes the cathode. At the bottom of the pit, low in oxygen level
becomes the anode. this will form a complete circuit where metal at the pit (FE) will be
ionized to release electron (e) and form ion Ferum (FE2+), this electron will travel to the
top of pit to react with Oxygen (O2) (and water, H2O) to form ion hydroxides (OH-). Ion
Ferum (FE2+) will react with ion hydroxides (OH-) to form Ferum Oxide (Fe2O3) which
typically a brown rust. Deeper the pit leeser the oxygen content and higher the potential
and pitting corrosion rate.
Severity of pitting corrosion
Knowing that pitting can cause failure due to perforation while the total
corrosion, as measured by weight lossm might be rather minimal,
experience shown that rate of penetration may be 10 to 100 times that by
general corrosion, pitting corrosion has been considered to be more
dangerous than the uniform corrosion damage because it is very
difficult to detect, predict and design against. General metal weight loss
method almost impossible to detect the internal pitting corrosion.

Pitting corrosion shape

Pits formed due to pitting corrosion can become wide and shallow or
narrow and deep which can rapidly perforate the wall thickness of a metal.
Following picture demonstrate several types of pitting corrosion shape. This
has made it even more difficult to be detected especially undercutting,
subsuface and horizontal type.
Preventive measures
There are several preventive approah to avoid pitting. There are :

 Proper material selection e.g. SS316 with molydenum having higher pitting resistance compare to SS304
 Use higher alloys (ASTM G48) for increased resistance to pitting corrosion
 Control oxygen level by injecting oxygen scavenger in boiler water system
 Control pH, chloride concentration and temperature
 Cathodic protection and/or Anodic Protection
 Proper monitoring of oxygen & chloride contents by routine sampling
 Agitation of stagnant fluid