8. Corrosion Monitoring in Desalination Plants

Corrosion monitoring is an essential element in the overall operation of desalination plants. Monitoring involves the application of different mechanical, electrical, or even electrochemical devices, which can evaluate and quantify corrosion characteristics. The monitoring techniques can be used on-line or off-line, directly or indirectly, and can be intrusive or non-intrusive, all merely depending on the level of service necessary. Corrosion monitoring provides us with a general idea of the corrosive environment and even a direct estimate of corrosion rates. A monitoring scheme is selected to improve the economy of plant operations, and it correlates to the likely mechanism(s) of corrosion and their implications of the failure on a plant component. In this chapter, we have provided detailed insight on different corrosion monitoring methods that are currently employed in desalination plants.