Carbon steel corrosion in piperazine-promoted blends under CO2 capture conditions

Aqueous amine promoter blends have improved CO2 absorption capacity and uptake. Tertiary (3°) and sterically-hindered (SH) amines are favoured for their molar absorption ratio, (i.e. CO2 absorption capacity). With a promoter, namely piperazine (PZ), the ordinarily slow reaction kinetics of a 3°/SH amine is accelerated. Amine blends of 30 and 50% by weight, MDEA + PZ and AMP + PZ, were tested using immersion corrosion techniques at 120 °C. In all cases, a siderite (FeCO3) product layer was formed on the surface of the carbon steel coupons. Aqueous PZ solutions produced thin layers with comparatively lower Fe ion concentrations than blended solutions. The fast CO2 capture kinetics of PZ, and therefore carbonate formation, makes the rapid reaction possible due to readily available Fe ions oxidised on the surface. The replacement of PZ content in a blend, by MDEA or AMP, resulted in slower formation of siderite and variably poorer corrosion protection. Critically, the use of AMP in the blend offers better protection against corrosion, shown by lower concentration of Fe ions in the bulk solution than parallel MDEA solutions. This can be attributed to the faster formation of carbonate species by AMP, as a SH amine, which also results in more imperfect crystals.