In the biofuels sector, operating environments can develop highly corrosive qualities that affect equipment, such as storage tanks and pipelines. Corrosion mitigation is a pressing issue for a wide range of industries. In the United States, the annual cost of corrosion just in the petroleum refining, chemicals, petrochemicals, and pharmaceutical industries has been estimated to be over $5 Billion. As materials corrode, the potential for leaks, reduced production, and risk of failure increases. Biofuel production has processes which can be more corrosive than traditional fuel refining processes, placing these facilities at even greater risk. Biofuels producers need effective ways to pinpoint areas of corrosion, its specific causes, and timely resolution. The ability to predict and understand the behavior of corrosive contaminants is essential to maintaining a safe, sustainable production environment.
In this paper, OLI Systems outline their relationship with a long-standing client who has leveraged its solutions and technical expertise to accurately predict pH and corrosion rates to address an extremely corrosive environment. Some of the direct benefits gained from the OLI solution includes improved safety and environmental measures, faster trouble shooting, focused inspection on high-risk areas, optimal materials selection, higher process availability and protected production targets.
