Corrosion by Phenol at High Temperatures

Special refining procedures currently employed in the petroleum industry involve use of phenol at high temperatures. Investigation by a simple experimental procedure has been made of several important factors that influence the corrosion of steel by phenol at high temperatures and of the comparative behavior of several alloys. Small additions of water (0.2% to 0.6%) to anhydrous phenol were found to decrease markedly the corrosion rate of low‐carbon steel, although further addition of water increased the corrosion rate. The corrosion‐inhibiting action of small quantities of water is attributed to the formation of a protective blue‐black film, found by electron diffraction to be Fe 3 O 4 . Increase of temperature above about 200° C greatly increased the corrosion of low‐carbon steel. Phenol containing sulfur compounds was more corrosive in general to various metals than pure phenol.