Low energy surfaces for reduced corrosion and fouling

A process for mitigating fouling in refinery and chemical plant equipment having metal surfaces containing corrosion layers which comprises:

• contacting a metal surface containing a corrosion layer with at least one of high pressure water or steam to produce a water or steam cleaned metal surface;
• heating the water or steam cleaned metal surface in an oxygen-containing atmosphere at temperatures of from 100 to 500° C. for a time sufficient to further clean said metal surface of carbonaceous residues, contacting the further cleaned metal surface with an organometallic compound capable of bonding to the metallic surface and forming a layer of organometallic molecules which is 1 to 10 molecular layers thick, which layer will not undergo substantial decomposition at temperatures up to 450 ° C., which layer forms a surface having a water contact angle between 95 to 160 degrees, and which layer is deposited on greater than 25% up to 100% of the metal surface.

A metal surface capable of resisting fouling when exposed to corrosive or coke forming at atmospheric or greater pressures which comprises a metal surface and a layer of organometallic molecules deposited on said metal surface, said layer of organometallic molecules being 1 to 10 molecular layers thick, which layer will not undergo substantial decomposition at temperatures up to 450 ° C., which layer has a surface energy lower than 50 millijoule/m2.