Corrosion Inhibitors for Chemical Processing
Specialized Corrosion Inhibitors formulations engineered to meet the operational and regulatory demands of Chemical Processing. Manufactured in our two Cairo facilities since 1977 and shipped to clients across MENA, Africa and Europe.
Corrosion control in a chemical plant is applied chemistry, dosed continuously at specific points. ART NOCOR 532 is the process-side product of this family: an oil-soluble filming amine blend injected into overhead and fractionation systems — toppings, vacuum towers, de-propanizers, de-butanizers, and steam-cracking service — where it lays down a protective film on metal surfaces exposed to condensing, chloride-bearing vapours. Its duty sits where neutralisation alone cannot protect, and it is frequently run alongside a neutralising programme. CHIMICIDE BAC 50 (50% ADBAC active) covers the utility side: in cooling circuits it combines corrosion inhibition with antibacterial, algaecide, and fungicidal action, addressing microbially influenced corrosion rather than acid attack. The two products answer different corrosion mechanisms, so diagnosis precedes selection: identify whether your losses come from condensing acids in process overheads or from biological activity in cooling water before choosing chemistry. Buyers in chemical processing should ask each supplier about compatibility with their process streams and metallurgy, correct injection points and dilution practice, whether a filming amine could affect downstream catalysts or product specifications in their particular flowsheet, and how performance will be verified — corrosion coupons, probes, and iron counts are the usual evidence. Request the TDS and SDS, and confirm shelf life and storage before stocking.
Why Corrosion Inhibitors matter in Chemical Processing
About Corrosion Inhibitors
Industrial corrosion inhibitors for cooling water, boiler feed and closed-loop systems — from CHIMI ART, Egyptian chemical manufacturer since 1977. Technical support included.
About Chemical Processing
Specialty chemicals, process intermediates, and laboratory reagents for chemical manufacturing and R&D.
What is a corrosion inhibitor in chemical processing?
A corrosion inhibitor in chemical processing is a chemical dosed continuously at a specific point — an overhead line, a cooling circuit, a closed loop — to slow the electrochemical attack on steel and alloys. It works by forming a protective film on the metal, neutralising a corrosive species, or killing the microorganisms that drive under-deposit attack; which of the three a plant needs depends on where the metal is being lost.
Chemical plants lose metal by more than one mechanism at once, and the same word — corrosion — hides different chemistry. Condensing hydrochloric acid in a fractionation overhead, microbial slime under a cooling-tower deposit and oxygen attack in a closed loop each call for a different inhibitor. Diagnosis precedes selection.
Filming amine, neutralising amine or biocidal quat — three mechanisms
A filming amine is oil-soluble and lays down a water-repellent molecular film on the metal, so condensing acids never wet the steel — the tool for topping, vacuum-tower, de-propaniser and de-butaniser overheads. A neutralising amine is volatile and water-soluble; it travels with the vapour and raises the pH of the first condensate, converting hydrogen chloride into amine salts — overhead water is typically held around pH 5.5–6.5. A quaternary ammonium biocide such as ADBAC attacks the bacteria, algae and fungi whose deposits cause microbially influenced corrosion in cooling water, and adds film-forming inhibition of its own. Most overhead programmes run a neutraliser and a filmer together; cooling circuits run the biocide with scale and corrosion control.
Injection points, dose control and the evidence that it works
Filming and neutralising amines are injected continuously into the overhead vapour line upstream of the first condensation point, with a quill or atomiser so the chemical disperses before the dew point; biocides are slug- or continuously dosed into the cooling-tower basin on a schedule set by bacterial counts. Dose is controlled on measurement, not on the calendar: overhead-water pH, chloride and iron counts, corrosion coupons exposed and weighed under ASTM G1 and G31 practice, electrical-resistance or linear-polarisation probes, and — for cooling water — dip-slide bacterial counts. A programme that cannot show falling iron counts and coupon rates is not working, whatever the drum says.
| Chemistry | Mechanism | Where it is dosed | How success is measured |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filming amine (e.g. ART NOCOR 532) | Oil-soluble molecular film repels condensing acids | Overhead vapour lines of toppings, vacuum towers, de-propanisers, de-butanisers | Iron counts in overhead water, coupon / probe corrosion rate |
| Neutralising amine (e.g. NA 660 C) | Volatile base raises first-condensate pH; converts HCl to amine salts | Overhead vapour upstream of the first condensation point | Overhead-water pH (typically 5.5–6.5), chloride and iron counts |
| Quaternary ammonium biocide (e.g. CHIMICIDE BAC 50) | Kills bacteria, algae and fungi behind under-deposit attack; film-forming inhibition | Cooling-tower basin, open recirculating and closed loops | Dip-slide / plate counts, deposit inspection, coupon rate |
Standards & references
- API RP 571 (3rd ed., 2020)Damage Mechanisms Affecting Fixed Equipment in the Refining Industry — the reference description of hydrochloric-acid overhead corrosion, amine corrosion and microbiologically influenced corrosion; written for refineries, used across chemical processing.
- ASTM G1Standard practice for preparing, cleaning and evaluating corrosion test specimens — how coupons are prepared and mass loss is converted to a corrosion rate.
- ASTM G31-21Standard guide for laboratory immersion corrosion testing of metals — the controlled-exposure method used to compare inhibitor programmes before a plant trial.
Corrosion inhibitors for chemical processing — frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a neutralising amine and a filming amine?
A neutralising amine changes the water: it is volatile, travels with the overhead vapour and raises the pH of the first condensate so hydrogen chloride becomes an amine salt. A filming amine changes the metal surface: it is oil-soluble and forms a water-repellent film so condensing acid never wets the steel. Overhead programmes usually run both — the neutraliser sets the pH, the filmer protects what the pH cannot.
How do I tell microbial corrosion from acid corrosion?
By where and how the metal is lost. Microbially influenced corrosion shows as pitting under slime or deposits in cooling circuits, with high bacterial counts and often a sulphide smell; acid corrosion in overheads shows as general thinning or grooving at the first condensation point with low overhead-water pH and high chloride. Coupons, deposit analysis and dip-slides separate the two before any chemistry is bought.
What pH should overhead water be held at?
Common practice holds the first-condensate water at roughly pH 5.5–6.5 — low enough to avoid amine-chloride salt fouling, high enough that hydrochloric acid is neutralised. A buffered neutralising amine blend such as NA 660 C is formulated for that window. The exact target is set with the plant's own chloride and iron trends.
Can a filming amine affect downstream catalysts or product specifications?
It can, in some flowsheets — amines carried into certain downstream units or products are a known compatibility question. Raise it with the supplier before trial: state the unit, the metallurgy, the downstream catalysts and the product specifications, and ask for the compatibility data. Injection point and dose are then chosen so the film forms where it is needed and nowhere else.
How often should a biocide be dosed in a cooling circuit?
On the evidence of bacterial counts, not a fixed calendar. A quaternary ammonium biocide is typically slug-dosed at intervals set by dip-slide or plate counts, with continuous low-level dosing where fouling pressure is high. Counts, deposit inspection and coupon corrosion rates decide whether the interval is right.
Does CHIMI ART manufacture corrosion inhibitors?
Yes. CHIMI ART Industries formulates ART NOCOR 532 (filming amine), NA 660 C (buffered neutralising amine) and CHIMICIDE BAC 50 (ADBAC biocide and corrosion inhibitor) in Egypt, supplied in 200 L drums and 1,000 L IBCs with technical and safety data sheets, from a manufacturer operating since 1977 under ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 management systems.
Corrosion Inhibitors we supply to Chemical Processing
2 products in this line — every batch certified to international specifications and shipped with TDS and SDS documentation suitable for Chemical Processing compliance.
ART NOCOR 532
A filming amine corrosion inhibitor is an oil-soluble organic formulation that lays a water-repellent molecular barrier over metal surfaces in refinery overhead systems. ART NOCOR 532 is CHIMI ART's filming amine blend for petrochemical service, protecting topping units, vacuum towers, de-propanizers, de-butanizers and steam cracking units against acidic overhead corrosion. An amber liquid supplied in 200 L drums and 1000 L IBCs, it is injected continuously into the overhead stream.
CHIMICIDE BAC 50
Alkyl benzyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (ADBAC) is a quaternary ammonium biocide and film-forming corrosion inhibitor. CHIMICIDE BAC 50 supplies it as a clear liquid at 50% active content with triple action in one product: corrosion inhibition, antibacterial control and algae control, plus fungicidal, deodorizing and antistatic properties. It is fully water-miscible, compatible with cationic, non-ionic and amphoteric media, and supplied by CHIMI ART in 200 L drums and 1000 L IBCs.
Other product lines for Chemical Processing
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