Water Systems
NACE Central Area Conference
October 1-4, 2006
By:
David E. Hendrix, P.E.
The Hendrix Group Inc.
Houston, TX.
Copper probably first came into use as the earliest nonprecious metal employed by the Sumerians and Chaldeans
of Mesopotamia, after they had established their thriving
cities of Sumer and Accad, Ur, al'Ubaid and others,
somewhere between 5,000 and 6,000 years ago.
The Romans were the first to use brass on any significant scale,
although the Greeks were well acquainted with it in Aristotle's time (c.
330 B.C.). They knew it as 'oreichalcos', a brilliant-and-white copper,
which was made by mixing tin and copper with a special earth called
'calmia' that came originally from the shores of the Black Sea.
Pure zinc was not known until quite modern times, the ore employed
being calamine which is an impure zinc carbonate rich in silica.
The earliest brass was made by mixing ground calamine ore with
copper and heating the mixture in a crucible. The heat applied was
sufficient to reduce the zinc to the metallic state but not to melt the
copper. The vapor from the zinc, however, permeated the copper and
formed brass which was then melted.
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By 3000 B.C., silver and lead were being used and the
alloying of copper had begun, first with arsenic and then
with tin.
Copper came from the island of Cyprus-from whence its
name.
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The Bronze Age suddenly ended at about 1200 BC, with the
general collapse of the ancient world and the interruption of
international trade routes. The supply of tin dried up and the
Iron Age was ushered in, not because iron was a superior
material, but because it was widely available.
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Malleable
Easily joined (soldering)
Impermeable
Wont burn or melt in a fire (residential fires)
Biostatic
Inhibits growth of harmful bacteria
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Wrought Alloys:
Cast Alloys:
Coppers(C80000 - C81399)
Brasses(C83300 - C89999)
Bronzes(C50000 - C69999)
Bronzes(C90000 - C95999)
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Coppers(C10100 - C15999)
C21000-C28999 Copper-Zinc Alloys(Yellow Brasses)
C30000-C39999 Copper-Zinc-Lead Alloys(Leaded Brasses)
C40000-C49999 Copper-Zinc-Tin Alloys(Tin Brasses)
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Copper
corrosion
failures by
category.
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So What!
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Erosion-Corrosion
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In water with low oxygen (DO) content (less than 2 mg/l) copper is
stable and it will not corrode readily.
In acidic water (<pH = 6) with high DO (> 2 mg/l), the metal may
dissolve to form the copper ion Cu2+ (also called cupric ion), which
is the most stable form in these conditions. Such waters are
cuprosolvent.
In neutral to slightly alkaline water (pH 6 - 8) with high DO, the
metal may initially produce insoluble cuprous oxide (Cu2O). This
magenta, red-to-brown corrosion product is the most stable
species in these conditions and will form a semi-protective scale
against further corrosion.
In water with high DO and strongly alkaline (pH > 8), the copper
may form cupric oxide (CuO). This jet-black to brown corrosion
product is the most stable species in these conditions and will
form a semi-protective scale against further corrosion.
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Acetates
Amines
Chlorates
Citrates
Mercury
Nitrates
Nitrites
Moist Sulfur Dioxide
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Relative
ranking of
copper alloys
susceptibility to
ammonia SCC.
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Case History 1
SCC of Copper Alloy C44300
(Arsenical Admiralty)
H26087
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Case History 2
Dezincification Study of Different Brasses
H24130-H25036-H25136-H26036H26058
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EN coated
switch
showing
merinque
dezincification
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C83600 - No dezincification
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Case History 3
Erosion-Corrosion of Copper Tubing in a
Recirculating Hot Water Loop
H2056
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ID corrosion products
Cu2O, CuO, CuCO3.Cu(OH2), (assumed from elemental
species).
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Case History 4
Type I (Cold Water) Pitting Corrosion of
Enhanced C12220 Copper Tubes in AirConditioning Chiller Service
H2244
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O = 0.83%
Si = 0.14
S = 0.10
Fe = 0.18
Cu = 98.75
Al
Cl
Ca
Green ID Deposits
3.57%
0.64
4.17
1.44
86.27
0.12
1.25
2.02
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Case History 5
Uniform corrosion of ASTM copper tubing in an a
S&T air dryer near an animal waste plant
H23060
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Exchanger manifold
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Close-up of
exchanger
manifold showing
rivulet corrosion
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Exchanger tube ID
showing general
corrosion
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The End
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