Corrosion at petroleum refineries is a critical problem all over the world. In the United States alone, NACE International, a professional association dedicated to reducing the economic impact of corrosion, has shown that $3.7 billion in direct costs are realized annually from maintenance, vessel expenditures, and fouling as a result of corrosion. This huge figure does not take into account the estimated loss of as much as $12 billion in profit due to decreased capacity, unit outages, and premature turnarounds that result from corrosion.