Question regarding the material of the MDEA lean liquid pipeline
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The company has a set of MDEA-based equipment for CO2 absorption removal, located in the CO2 removal section of the stripping tower. The lean liquid exits the bottom of the tower and is sent to heat exchangers; after passing through these heat exchangers, the pipeline material used for transportation is carbon steel. However, after exiting the heat exchangers, there is a step in which an antifoaming agent is added, and from that point onward until the material is cooled by air cooling, the pipeline material used for transportation becomes stainless steel. Once the material has been cooled by the air cooler, its temperature drops from around 60 degrees to around 40 degrees. I would like to ask the fellow sailors whether anyone knows why stainless steel was used for this section of pipe in the middle. After all, defoamers are not corrosive, so what was the reasoning behind choosing this material here?
Defoamers are corrosive in themselves
I consulted regarding suitable defoamers, and the substances recommended were alkylsilicon-based ones. Such substances are not corrosive and are resistant to both acids and bases; therefore, I don’t think it’s due to the reason you mentioned.