There are many purposes for corrosion monitoring in industrial systems. These purposes generally include one
or more of the following:
• Diagnoses of corrosion problems.
• Monitoring of corrosion control methods (e.g. inhibition, pH control, etc.).
• Advanced warning of system upsets leading to corrosion damage.
• Invoke process controls.
• Determination of inspection and/or maintenance schedules.
• Estimation of use service life of equipment.
However, there are several basic aspects of corrosion monitoring that are often over looked. First, corrosion
assessment can be complex since industrial process operations provide a wide variety of dynamic
environments and service conditions. Secondly, no single method will necessarily work or provide optimum
results in all applications. In some cases, multiple technologies may be needed in combination to provide
accurate and reliable corrosion monitoring information that can be used with confidence to make engineering
decisions.
The purpose of this primer is to introduce several of the more common techniques utilized for monitoring
corrosion in industrial process operations and to define their advantages and limitations. Additionally, examples
will be presented on how these techniques are employed for in-plant corrosion monitoring.