EXPERIMENTAL STUDY REGARDING THE CORROSI

The study on the tubes (made of CuZn36 material) of a condenser used in the petrochemical industry revealed that thickness reduction by corrosion is the main factor causing the decrease of the equipment service life. The present paper aims to study, from the experimental point of view, the behavior of the heat exchanger tubes, in the presence of different environments. The experimental program included two directions: evaluation of technical condition of in-service brass tubes after a certain period of operation for a condenser and an experimental study based on simulation of exposure to extreme corrosive environments for new CuZn36 tubes. This investigation establishes their influence on tube degradation by determining the corrosion rate. Analyzed samples were immersed in various corrosive solutions for 21 days, and another sample was boiled in water and cooled in air to simulate the operational environment. All samples were weighed before and after exposure, enabling the establishment of the corrosion rate for each. Furthermore, mechanical analysis included the flattening test, which compared the behavior of exposed and unexposed samples. This comprehensive study aims to provide insights into the durability and longevity of brass tubes used in heat exchangers within aggressive environments.