Methanol and plain carbon steel

[SLedo]

Are welded plain carbon steel vessels suitable for containing methanol?

 

[metman]

sledo- I cannot imagine why they would be unsuitable but I am not a corrosion expert. Suggest you post this question on the Corrosin engineering forum which is on Eng-Tips under Materials Engineers. Jesus is the WAY

 

[butske]

it is posible but dangerous in a furnice becouse of explosion danger
and you furnice must have temp from about 890 celcius
and a gas security so that the methanol moves out of the furnis en you must have with a meshbelt furnice a flame curtain so the methanol doesnt contact the open air

and an extra danger is wen methanot is spillet en is starts to burn you wont see anny flames becouse off it purity

so consider this quit well becouse is its dangerous

 

[mcguire]

I can't cite any data at the moment, but when auto producers consider methanol fuel tanks, they don't use their usual steel or terne-coated steel. They use plastic or stainless instead for corrosion reasons.

 

[rustbuster]

I have seen carbon steel storage tanks in use, have also seen corroded carbon steel components in methanol service. Oxygen is the primary degredant associated methanol to my knowledge, resulting in the formation of weak acids.

Inert gas blanketing or thin film coatings would be recommended.

If the methanol is injected into a process stream for hydrate control, again O2 should be prevented. Have seen a few pipeline failures result.