Sour gas corrosion – corrosion of steels and other metallic materials in aqueous environments containing H₂S

The corrosion of metals, mainly steels, in contact with H2S-containing solutions is a general problem especially in gas and oil production. The corrosion products are hydrogen and iron sulfides. Penetration of the hydrogen into the material leads to the typical hydrogen-related damage mechanisms. On the other hand, the sulfide corrosion products do not normally form a protective layer, as opposed to oxidic corrosion products in other situations. This contribution summarizes the state-of-the-art in the field and discusses approaches to combat sour corrosion