Patent ID: 7491318

Claim:
A process for combating the corrosion by naphthenic acids of the metal walls of a refining plant, characterized in that it comprises the addition, to a hydrocarbon stream having a TAN of greater than 0.2 to be treated by the refining plant, of an effective amount of a corrosion inhibitor consisting essentially of a compound of formula: HS—B—COOR (I) in which: B represents a saturated divalent hydrocarbon radical which can either be acyclic, in the linear or branched form, or cyclic and which comprises from 1 to 18 carbon atoms; and R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkali or alkaline earth metal, an ammonium group, or an alkyl (linear or branched), cycloalkyl, aryl, alkylaryl or arylalkyl radical, said radical comprising from 1 to 18 carbon atoms and optionally one or more heteroatoms.