Abstract:
Corrosion leakage of copper tube occurred in Middle East. To clarify the failure causes, the corrosion appearance of the copper tubes and the corrosion products on the leakage point were analyzed. Furthermore, the local air composition in Middle East was detected. The results showed that the surface of the copper tube was generally corroded, with S element detected on the leakage position and in the corrosion products at the leakage site. The main cause of the copper tube leakage is that the polluting gases SO
2 and H
2S generated by the humus fermentation, which accelerated the corrosion of the copper tube, especially the weld joint. It is the corrosion of the weld joint along with the corrosion in the outer surface of the copper, leads to the leakage of copper tube. There are two main ways to reduce the leakage rate, isolating corrosive gas and protecting copper tubes by epoxy coating, which prolongs the operation life of copper tube.