Cause of stress-corrosion cracking in pipe

Journal Article · Mon Jan 05 04:00:00 EST 1987 · Oil Gas J.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7000954

Christman, T K; Beavers, J A

Carbonate-bicarbonate has been identified as the environmental species responsible for stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) in the majority of studied field failures of natural-gas pipelines. Battelle Columbus Division, Columbus, Ohio, studied approximately 30 SCC field failures of natural-gas pipelines form a 20-year period beginning in 1965. The results of the study also reject hydroxide (caustic) as a significant factor in these failures. Stress-corrosion cracking in natural-gas transmission pipelines has been recognized as a serious problem for a number of years. But there remains considerable controversy concerning the environmental species responsible for the cracking. One opinion has held that carbonate-bicarbonate promotes cracking, while another attributes the cracking to hydroxide (caustic). This issue is important because the feasibility of mitigation procedures based on potential control depend upon the chemical species responsible for the cracking. Moreover, it is important for the laboratory studies aimed at SCC mitigation to simulate closely the field failures. Both carbonate/bicarbonate and caustic environments can result from application of cathodic protection to a pipeline. The cathodic current applied to the pipeline accelerates the rate of the reduction reactions occurring on the pipe surface, promoting generation of hydroxide.

• Research Organization: Battelle Columbus Div., Columbus, OH
• OSTI ID: 7000954
• Journal Information: Oil Gas J.; (United States), Journal Name: Oil Gas J.; (United States) Vol. 85:1; ISSN OIGJA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
032000* -- Natural Gas-- Transport
Handling
& Storage
42 ENGINEERING
420205 -- Engineering-- Transport & Storage Facilities-- (1980-)
ACID CARBONATES
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATES
CATHODIC PROTECTION
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CORROSION
CORROSION PROTECTION
CORROSIVE EFFECTS
CRACK PROPAGATION
CURRENTS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
FAILURES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
KINETICS
MITIGATION
NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PIPELINES
REACTION KINETICS
STRESS CORROSION