New approaches to studying flow accelerated corrosion in flowing fluids

This paper provides an overview of two new approaches to probing and measuring flow accelerated corrosion (FAC) and erosion corrosion (EC) using an electrochemically integrated multi-electrode array, namely the wire beam electrode (WBE), and an electrical resistance (ER) array. Typical results are presented to illustrate the use of the WBE and ER arrays as new tools for simulating, visualizing and monitoring the dynamic processes of FAC and EC under natural open circuit corrosion conditions. From the comparison of the WBE current and the ER measurement results, the contributions of erosion and corrosion to overall metal losses in flowing fluids have been quantified. Advantages and limitations of each approach has been briefly discussed.