Influence of Organic Acids and Related Organic Compounds on Corrosion Behavior of Stainless Steel—A Critical Review

Stainless steel is one of the most commonly used structural materials in industry for the transportation of liquids such as water, acids, and organic compounds. Corrosion is a major concern in industry due to the use of strong mineral acids, feedstock contamination, flow, aqueous environments, and high temperatures. Stainless steel is the most commonly used material in the petrochemical industry because of its characteristics of self-protectiveness, offered by thin passive oxides, and its metallurgical composition. However, chlorides and mineral acids attack the stainless steel continuously, consequently breaking down the passivation film, causing a continuous challenge from corrosion. The corrosion in stainless steel is influenced by many factors including flow rate, temperature, pressure, ethanol concentration, and chloride ion content. This review describes the impact of organic compounds and organic acids on the degradation behavior of stainless steel. The review also summarizes the commonly used organic compounds and their applications. It has been demonstrated that organic acid concentration, temperature, and halide impurities have significant effects on susceptibility to pitting corrosion by damaging the passivation film. The phenomenon of corrosion in stainless steel is quite different in immersion tests and electrochemical potentiodynamic polarization. This review article discusses the importance of organic compounds and their corrosion behavior on steel. The article also puts emphasis on the roles of corrosion inhibitors, monitoring methods, corrosion management, and forms of corrosion.