Corrosive Properties Analyser Demonstrates High Level of Accuracy in Inter-laboratory NACE Spindle Corrosion Test

The corrosivity of petroleum products (gasoline and other distillates) must be determined before transportation through pipelines in order to control the internal corrosion of pipelines. The NACE TM0172 test for “Determining Corrosive Properties of Cargoes in Petroleum Product Pipelines” is considered a reference test and is the most widely used laboratory test for this purpose.

A new instrumental approach for measurement of corroded surface area has been developed by AD Systems in which the exact percentage of corroded area is accurately determined by an automatic instrument, drastically reducing operator subjectivity and labour costs. The innovative CT10 instrument images the entire spindle surface. Operation is based on a homogeneous lighting source, CCD camera, specimen rotation system and specially designed Windows CE application software.

The CT10 strictly follows the test method removing the subjectivity inherent to the manual test. It significantly improves repeatability and reproducibility and provides a final evaluation which eliminates disputes between the shipper and receiver of the product.

In January 2017, a large interlaboratory study was carried in Ampec Laboratory – Houston (USA). This ILS (method NACE TM0172) was performed with 8 CT1O instruments, 24 different spindles and 7 technicians for visual rating. The CT10 demonstrated a precision five to ten times better than the visual rating. A research report has been written and the CT10 should be soon included in the test method.