Multiform Tubes Engineering Ltd is a company with years of experience. We have the means to supply clients with tubing that meets their exact specifications, including stainless steel and more. This is possible thanks to services like tube ring rolling.

Mitigating corrosion

Corrosion is the degradation of materials because of electrochemical reactions. It can turn a metal into an oxide, hydroxide, or sulfide. It’s a very expensive, potentially disastrous, issue. Unchecked corrosion on stainless steel tubing systems is one of the top causes of profit loss for nearshore and offshore applications. So, it is important to understand it and take action.

Thankfully, it is possible to mitigate or prevent common kinds of corrosion. You can do this with a few relatively straightforward measures. What you need to do first is acknowledge the separate corrosion types. You then need to implement suitable solutions.

Crevice and pitting corrosion are among the most common issues in the oil and gas industry. We’re going to discuss the two in detail here to give you an idea of what it is you’re dealing with, as well as the steps to address problems with stainless steel tubes. Then, if you need tube ring rolling, you can rely on us.

Pitting corrosion

This corrosion happens when the protective Cr-rich oxide layer on the stainless steel surface breaks down. What that does is expose the bare metal underneath, making it vulnerable to continued attack. Such a localised electrochemical reaction begins the formation of small cavities or “pits”.

The entry point of a pit is something you could detect through deep visual inspection. There could be a deep network of missing material under the surface. If left alone, pits like these are able to grow deep enough that they can completely perforate tube walls. The result will be environmental and safety hazards, and expensive leaks.

Something else pitting corrosion can do is help the initiation and growth of cracks. This is in components under tensile loads.

Settings with higher chloride (CI) concentrations will likely experience pitting corrosion. This is particularly likely at high temperatures. Pay particular attention to upwards facing surfaces where CI bearing water could pool and evaporate. When it happens, the concentration increases and the water becomes more corrosive.

When you examine your stainless steel tubes for this corrosion, look for reddish-brown iron oxide deposits. Also, be on the lookout for pits that could have formed on the metal exterior. If you’ve had services like tube ring rolling or bending, make sure you check bend areas.

Crevice corrosion

Like pitting, crevice corrosion initiates with the breakdown of stainless steel’s protective oxide layer. Although, instead of happening in plain sight, it happens in crevices. Once it begins, the corrosion persists with the growth of relatively shallow and wide pits.

In a standard fluid tube system, crevices exist between tube supports or clamps and tubing. They are also between adjacent tubing runs, and beneath deposits and dirt that might have gathered on surfaces. It’s virtually impossible to avoid them. Tight crevices pose one of the largest dangers to stainless steel’s integrity.

In offshore or coastal applications, crevice corrosion happens when seawater gets into the crevices. This leads to a chemically aggressive setting where corrosion-causing ions aren’t able to readily diffuse out of the crevice. In this instance, the whole exterior can corrode swiftly.

Something vital to remember is that crevice corrosion can happen at lower temperatures than pitting corrosion. The reason is that you need less effort to generate a “pit” under the geometric crevice.

We offer the top tube ring rolling services

At Multiform Tubes Engineering Ltd, we work to provide the best services at prices you can’t argue with. Ring rolling is one of the many ways we can aid you. It is more effective than cutting and welding, saving time and maintaining the characteristics of the tube material. It can also help to reduce the creation of crevices.

So, if you want to work with our team and get expert tube ring rolling services, please let us know. We can provide them for numerous applications, including stainless steel tubing for pipelines.