A practical model for microbially influenced corrosion risk assessment

Keay, Sean (2024) A practical model for microbially influenced corrosion risk assessment. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

Understanding what your risk is, what is driving your risk, and ensuring mitigative measures are effective are key to a strong risk-based inspection program. As a corrosion-resistant material, stainless steel is chosen for use in many applications. There is a wider understanding of degradation caused by microbiologically influenced corrosion. Leveraging microbially influenced corrosion of stainless steel and three major accidents involving corrosion, this work develops a model for corrosion risk assessments using bow tie analysis. In the first part of this work corrosion of stainless steel is introduced. It reviews the various grades of stainless steel and why it is a corrosion-resistant alloy. It then reviews the status of research on its primary degradation mechanisms, pitting, and microbially influenced corrosion. This work then introduces inspection methods and techniques used to detect and monitor stainless steel corrosion to demonstrate the variation in results. The resulting variation impacts the fitness-for-service results and risk profile. In the second part of the work, a model for corrosion risk assessment is developed based on three industrial accidents caused by corrosion. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate the use of the corrosion risk assessment model and the resulting risk profile. The developed risk profiles are used to design corrosion intervention strategies that include corrosion prevention, to risk mitigation.

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