A study was carried out on the effects of Ti in a Ti-lean and a Ti-modified C-Mn microalloyed steels of otherwise comparable compositions. Analyses were carried out by SEM and TEM on steel microstructure, microalloying element precipitates and on non-metallic inclusions. A theoretical support to the experimental data was obtained by thermodynamic analyses aimed at stating phase stability and composition as a function of temperature for the steels investigated. Experimental results and theoretical predictions were combined to cast light on carbide, nitride and sulphide evolution during thermal cycles associated to fabrication route of the steels.
The ductility behaviour experienced by steels for linepipe (LP) applications in a temperature range generally from 700°C to 1200°C is a widely studied subject in steel research, especially for its implication on cracking during continuous casting and rolling. Hot tensile / torsion tests on as-cast products, conducted until fracture, are normally used to characterise the hot deformability behaviour. Depending on the industrial hot deformation process within which the steel aptitude is being investigated, other types of tests can be more adequate. With the aim to characterize the hot deformability behaviour in terms of the damages each steel presents at moderate strain levels (i.e. far from the onset of necking), a special device for interrupted hot tensile tests, followed by immediate quenching (i.e. to “freeze” the microstructure) was developed. Various industrial steels with different starting microstructures (ad hoc in-lab heat treatments performed before testing) were tested by this method, and subsequent metallurgical investigations of the strained samples were carried out to identify, for each case, the damage mechanism and the microstructure features having the major influence on ductility loss. As a result, it was found that (i) microstructural damages at moderate strain levels can be much better described throughout interrupted hot tensile tests, (ii) different compositions and starting microstructures within the industrial LP scenario lead always to microstructural damages at relatively high deformation temperatures (e.g. 950°C) and moderate strains (e.g. 0.1 to 0.2, very far from the onset of necking), (iii) the common mechanism by which LP steels start voiding is the grain boundary sliding and (iv) the intergranular voids, once formed, grow longer in coarser microstructures.
Recent trends for linepipe projects reflect a sustained increasing complexity: Sour Service (SS), High Temperature & High Pressure (HT/HP) field conditions, deep and ultra-deep water oil and gas transportation, Artic and Artic “alike” areas. This reflects into stringent requirements for manufacturing and testing of the concerned products, which are not only the straight pipes but also a number of accessories, among which bends are the ones presenting the most complex combination of critical issues. As long as a whole chain reliability standpoint is assumed as the main concern, the design, production and supply of the bends have become a key stage within a linepipe project. Bends for linepipe projects are produced in general by hot induction bending (HIB). Two different fabrication routes can be clearly identified: HIB followed by Stress Relieving (SR) and HIB followed by off-line full quenching and tempering (Q&T). The first method is known as “Traditional route (TR)”, while the second one as “Quenching-Tank (QT)”. A large investigation program was carried out involving the most recognised benders in Europe. The matrix of industrial trials comprised a dimensional size range from 168 to 406 mm OD, 8 to 34 mm WT; X60 to X70 steel grades, different bending and post-bending heat treatments conditions and mother pipe chemistries. For each analysed item, the final bend, the corresponding mother pipe and samples taken in as-bent / as-quenched (TR / QT) conditions were fully characterised in terms of mechanical properties, hardness profiles and microstructure features. As a result, a much better performance was found for the bends produced by the off-line full Q&T method, principally due to the better quenching efficiency with respect to the in-line system. Production of bends through out the traditional method can be seen as a reliable option for bends which are not going to face hard conditions in the field, and therefore the corresponding specification requirements are no stringent as well (i.e. X52 grade or lower, Charpy tests required at 0°C or higher temperature, no corrosion tests required, etc.). If either stringent conditions are required or X60-X80 steel grades are involved, the off-line quenching tank route becomes the reliable option.
Offshore industry has evolved to meet numerous challenges, e.g. deep water, high currents, high pressure and high temperature (HPHT), and sour reservoirs, facing deepwater exploration. The trend in flowline specifications for deepwater offshore fields is a consequence of complex oil-gas field conditions, such as HPHT and developments in design criteria (i.e. limit state design), welding and laying technologies. The technological evolution exhibits a trend towards an increasing wall thickness (WT) to provide sufficient resistance for the very high operating pressures. Furthermore, the pipelay operations, especially when linepipes are installed by means of the reel laying method, cause repeated plastic bending and straightening deformation cycles. These cyclic loads affect final material stress-strain properties. Reeling is currently applied to an increasing range of pipe geometries, being the present limit given by pipes with 16″ outer diameter (OD) and 30 mm wall thickness (WT). Other pipeline installation techniques, for example, J-lay, S-lay and steep S-lay also introduce plastic strain. All previous factors mentioned before and adding one more variable when exploring and producing in regions alike to the Artic where low temperatures implied several material challenges calls for high performance seamless pipes tailored to the specific application required by the oil and gas industry. In this paper, a description is given of the results of latest fundamental studies on high-strength heavy-wall steel materials manufactured by Q&T processing. This work is part of an on-going development program on high performance heavy wall seamless pipes for special applications such as HPHT, low temperature design criteria, sour requirements and studying the material under the strain based design criteria involving metallurgical modeling, laboratory tests, industrial trials and advanced metallographic examinations. The most recent findings and overall conclusions are reported hereafter, these results have been exploited by Tenaris to manufacture a limited production seamless pipes in a wall thickness range from 40 mm to 48 mm in steel grade X65 Sour Service.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.