The effect of weak acids on active corrosion rate in top-of-line corrosion

The corrosion rate of pipelines in the petroleum industry is heavily influenced by the weak acids present in the production stream. In a series of experiments at 65 degrees C, weak acids enhanced the cathodic reaction currents, significantly increasing the corrosion rate. The experiments were designed to investigate limiting electrochemical factors in solutions with low salt concentrations, focusing on predicting top-of-line corrosion corrosion rate. Carbonic acid, acetic acid, and formic acid, commonly found in produced fluids, were the subjects of this corrosion investigation. Under the investigated conditions, the corrosion rates were found to correlate with the undissociated weak acid concentration.