(62c) Teaching Corrosion Modeling for Carbon Capture Injection and Material Selection Using Oli Studio: Corrosion Analyzer

The world is currently facing a global pollution epidemic, with atmospheric CO₂ concentrations reaching as high as 424.4 ppm as of December 2024. [1] The global average temperature has risen about 1.5 °C (2.7 °F) since the late 19^th-century, surpassing the threshold set in the Paris Climate Agreement, with the 10 most recent years being the warmest on record. [2] This temperature rise, driven by record-high atmospheric CO₂ concentrations and accelerating fossil fuel emissions, has intensified climate impacts seen in catastrophic wildfires, heatwaves, sea-level rise, and biodiversity loss. As global temperatures continue to rise, the urgency to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere is critical; one of the most promising solutions to controlling greenhouse gas emissions is carbon sequestration, the process of capturing CO₂ from either industrial sources (such as power plants) or directly from the atmosphere. This captured CO₂ would then be injected into deep geological formations using Class VI wells to prevent its release into the atmosphere.

One technical issue in carbon sequestration is long-term exposure of well materials to CO₂ injectates; these streams present substantial corrosion risks caused by chemical interactions between water and impurities in the CO₂ stream forming corrosive compounds such as nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and elemental sulfur. [3] Significant corrosion of pipelines will increase the risk of CO₂ leakage into surrounding geological formations, which may result in adverse environmental contamination and human health hazards. [4] Therefore, accurately modeling corrosion processes is essential in selecting the appropriate materials that can withstand long-term exposure, increasing the longevity of the well.

We present here a teaching module that is designed to provide instructors with the tools to educate students in how to model corrosion in a CO₂ injection scenario using OLI Systems’ software, OLI Studio: Corrosion Analyzer. The module introduces the theory behind corrosion modeling and explores the physical chemistry behind corrosion, covering key concepts such as pH, ionic strength effects, oxide formation, and susceptibility to general and localized corrosion for different alloys. A step-by-step guide on utilizing the software to model general and localized corrosion rates is provided, demonstrating how the software’s computational tools offer advantages over traditional hand calculations. Students will be able to analyze corrosion data and graphs of CO₂ streams from various industrial sources and predict material performance over time. A learning goal of the module is that educators will have a structured framework to help them teach students how to predict corrosion behaviors with a variety of models and learn about the process of large-scale buildout of carbon sequestration technology.

[1] NOAA, Global Monitoring Laboratory. Trends in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide at Mauna Loa, 2025. https://gml.noaa.gov/webdata/ccgg/trends/co2/co2_mm_mlo.txt (accessed 2025-03-19).

[2] NASA. Global Temperature. https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/global-temperature/?intent=121 (accessed 2025-03-19).

[3] Bjørn H. Morland, Morten Tjelta, Arne Dugstad, Gaute Svenningsen; Corrosion in CO₂ Systems with Impurities Creating Strong Acids. Corrosion; 75 (11): 1307–1314; 2019.

[4] Phillip N. Price, Curtis M. Oldenburg; The consequences of failure should be considered in siting geologic carbon sequestration projects. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control; 3 (5): 658-663; 2009.