THE PERFORMANCE OF THERMOSET POLYMERS IN MINERAL AND ORGANIC ACID SERVICE

Most severe corrosion problems encountered in chemical processing, paper mills, food plants, and tank cars involve mineral acids and their derivatives. Typically, in these industries, corrosion of steel depends upon the concentration of acids. In some cases, corrosion increases and in others it decreases with increasing acid concentration. When aeration or oxidizing agents are also present, corrosive conditions are usually extreme. This article explains the corrosive agents found in most industrial processing facilities, summarizes how thermoset linings protect steel against these agents, reviews resin types and reinforcements for linings, and explains laboratory tests used to evaluate linings for acid service. Sample performance test data are included. 8 figs., 2 tabs., 13 refs.