Erosion and intergranular corrosion induced failure of S31254 stainless steel – Case study on Venturi scrubber in a natural gas purification plant

The flue gases such as SO₂, SO₃, and CO₂ generated during the purification process of sulfur-containing natural gas need to be treated to a certain concentration before they can be discharged into the atmosphere. The flue gas unit of a purification plant in Sichuan adopts the new Cansolv flue gas treatment process. After running for a period of time, the Venturi scrubber experienced severe corrosion failure, resulting in equipment shutdown and significant economic losses. This paper utilizes an actual failed device as a case study to analyze the corrosion environment of the Venturi scrubber. It conducts a comprehensive failure analysis, encompassing material mechanical properties, metallographic analysis, and failure microstructure analysis, aiming to elucidate the reasons behind the Venturi scrubber failure. Systematic analysis shows that the manufacturing materials used in this scrubber meet all design requirements. However, flue gas at temperatures reaching 280 °C enters the scrubber tower at a flow rate exceeding 10 m/s. The dissolution of acidic gases leads to a significant drop in the pH of the cooling water to 1, manifesting evident signs of erosion corrosion and intergranular corrosion on the material surface. These observations suggest that erosion and intergranular corrosion in high-temperature acidic environments are the predominant factors contributing to the corrosion failure of the Venturi scrubber.