Corrosion of E-glass fiber in simulated oilfield environments

Abstract

In order to have a better understanding of corrosion behaviors and mechanisms of E-glass fibers in oilfield environments, three different oilfield atmospheres including CO₂, H₂S and Cl⁻ were firstly given. After different simulated corrosion tests, morphologies of E-glass fibers were gathered using SEM. Chemical bonding status and elemental analysis were systematically investigated by XPS, FT-IR and EDS. The results revealed that corrosion of E-glass fibers in simulated oilfield acidic media was primarily attributed to ion exchange mechanism, which was not only controlled by acid concentration, but also dominated by formation of complex ions or insoluble salts. The depletion of cations on E-glass fiber surface can disrupt the continuity of glass network, thus disturb the glass structure, therefore reducing the strength of fibers.