produced
reagent worldwide, corrosion by concentrated sulfuric acid
has received little attention from researchers dedicated to the
study of corrosion. An extensive literature review showed that
the majority of published papers deal with dilute sulfuric acid
and that a substantial number of papers report the selection of corrosion
inhibitors in sulfuric-acid pickling operations. Few studies
related to the corrosivity of concentrated sulfuric acid were found
in the literature. In addition, most of them were published prior to
the 1980s. The recent published papers are mainly related to
highly corrosion-resistant steels, including stainless steels [1–7].
Market research among some local sulfuric acid producers (São
Paulo, Brazil) showed that the aggressiveness of the sulfuric acid
is managed through an effective industrial plant maintenance policy
rather than the adoption of corrosion prevention practices.
In Brazil, the concern for corrosion by sulfuric acid has
increased in the oil and gas industry because of the recent policy
concerning the transformation of H2S and SOx produced during
oil extraction and refining into concentrated sulfuric acid. This policy
is being adopted to reduce the negative impact of the release of
these gases into the atmosphere because the burning of fuels is a
major cause of global warming because of the production of greenhouse
gases. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA),