Method of preventing or stopping sulfuric corrosion of metals

A method of stopping sulfidation of metals comprising the steps of:

• adding to a fluid including a sulfiding compound an effective amount of a preventative composition, where the composition stops or arrests further sulfidation of the metal by deactivating metal sites involved in the formation of atomic sulfur and/or sulfides at or on a surface of the metal.

A metal surface treated with a composition comprising an effective amount of a preventative composition in the presence of a sulfiding agent, where the composition and sulfiding agent react with metal surface to form a coating which reduces or prevents sulfidation by deactivating metal sites involved in the formation of atomic sulfur or sulfides at or on a surface of the metal.

An apparatus comprising:

• a reservoir containing a sulfidation preventative composition and
• an introduction system in fluid communication with the reservoir and an interior of a container having metal surfaces in contact with a fluid including a sulfiding compound, where the system introduces an effective amount of the composition into the container to reduce or prevent sulfidation of a surface of the metal.

A method of pre-treating metal surfaces comprising the steps of:

• contacting a metal surface with an effective amount of a pre-treating composition sufficient to deposit onto the metal surface a protective coating, where the coating prevents or reduces sulfidation of the metal by deactivating metal sites involved in the formation of atomic sulfur and/or sulfides at or on the surface.