Experimental Characterization and Monitoring of Early Stage Corrosion Degradation of Pipeline Steels

The safety and reliability of gas and oil transportation pipelines requires fundamental scientific understating of the materials degradation processes, and technological development of detection and monitoring protocols and methodologies. One of these issues, relevant to materials reliability is the early stage detection of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) prior to rapid crack propagation, after which failure rapidly becomes imminent. For example 21% of steel pipeline failures are attributable to SCC. During SCC, the majority of the life of a pipe remains within the nucleation stage wherein micro-damage is percolating very slowly and below detection thresholds for commonly deployable nondestructive evaluation techniques. An interdisciplinary team used a framework to understand the early corrosion mechanisms in high strength pipeline steels, leading to SCC under different hydrogen absorption levels with a focus on measurable degradation parameters that can assist in the development of new advanced nondestructive evaluation (NDE) measurement procedures. The phenomenological understanding, and laboratory measurements of such degradation, will assist in the development of NDE and in situ measurement procedures for the detection and monitoring of the early stage of SCC. These insights will also enhance abilities to better predict remaining safe life, determine operating pressures and identify the need for mitigation measures to be taken. Among the many degradation mechanisms, corrosion reactions might produce atomic hydrogen that gets absorbed, diffused and entrapped within the metal. Defect generation near the corroding surface, whether related to hydrogen or the corrosion reaction itself, leads to increased internal residual stresses, localized plastic deformation and damage accumulation. These phenomena are all precursors to the initiation of SCC. An experimental protocol will be developed to characterize the residual stress buildup using in situ substrate curvature measurements. The accompanying material property changes (modulus and flow stress) of the near surface layer will be probed by nano-indentation and nano-scratch experiment after exposure. A 4-point AC/DC probe will be also incorporated to measure the changes in electrical resistance of near surface layer as a function of the corrosion environment and exposure history.

• Record URL:
  https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/matrix/FilGet.rdm?fil=10994
• Summary URL:
  https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/matrix/PrjHome.rdm?prj=566
• Corporate Authors:

  Iowa State University, Ames

  Department of Aerospace Engineering
  Ames, IA  United States  50011-2271

  Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

  Department of Transportation
  East Building, 2nd Floor, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Bastawros, Ashraf
• Publication Date: 2016-11-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; Photos; References;
• Pagination: 19p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Gas pipelines; Monitoring; Nanotechnology; Nondestructive tests; Petroleum pipelines; Pipeline safety; Pipelines; Resistance (Electricity); Steel pipe; Stress corrosion
• Subject Areas: Materials; Pipelines; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01753841
• Record Type: Publication
• Contract Numbers: DTPH5614HCAP03
• Files: TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Sep 29 2020 11:41AM