Corrosion inhibitors are substances used in the oil industry to protect equipment and pipes against corrosion. Corrosion is a common problem in the oil industry due to the presence of water, gases, and other corrosive contaminants in the production environment.
Anodic inhibitors and cathodic inhibitors are the two main categories of corrosion inhibitors. While cathodic inhibitors act as catalysts to slow down corrosion, anodic inhibitors protect metal surfaces by acting as physical barriers. They can also be divided into organic and inorganic corrosion inhibitors based on their chemical composition.
Corrosion inhibitors are used in the petroleum industry in several steps, including drilling, production, transportation, and storage of oil and gas. They can mitigate different types of corrosion in the petroleum industry, such as generalized corrosion, pitting corrosion, erosion corrosion, stress corrosion, galvanic corrosion, cavitation corrosion, and hydrogen blister.