Corrosion of Metals in Organic Solvents

Abstract

Developments in the chemical and petrochemical industries, advances in chemical engineering, the introduction of new products, advances in the technology of intermediates, and problems in energy conversion have created new corrosion problems, involving the failure of metallic materials under the influence of aggressive organic solvents. Failures of this type lead not only to a deterioration of the mechanical properties of structural material, but also to discoloration and unwanted changes of the solvent. Since organic solvents in most cases are poisonous, inflammable, and, in the presence of air, explosive, the demands on the corrosion resistance of the materials used are immense. Therefore, in discussing corrosion of metals in organic solvents problems arise which have no parallel in the field of corrosion in aqueous media.