Most published SCC results for the near-neutral pH condition were produced under cyclic loading. However, the presence of stress corrosion cracks in pipeline systems involving very small pressure fluctuations suggests the cracking should initiate and grow without large dynamic loads. This study was designed to investigate this issue. A Grade 448 (X-65) line pipe steel and a prototype Grade 550 (X-80) steel were evaluated in near-neutral pH solutions. The maximum stress applied was at 95% of the respective yield strengths and the R values applied were between 0.98 and 1.0. Two solutions were used for each steel: NS4 and NS4/clay mixture. The solutions were purged with a gas mixture of 95%N2 and 5%CO2. Recognizing that the crack propagation rate can be very slow under such near-static conditions, relatively long-term tests were carried out. The durations of the three tests using the prototype Grade 550 (X-80) steel were 110 days, 54 days and 26 days, and the duration for the X-65 steel was 110 days. After 110 days, the majority of the cracks in the Grade 550 (X-80) steel were in the range of 5 to 30 micrometers (μm) deep, giving an average crack propagation rate of 2*10−9 mm/s. Tests at short durations revealed that only a few cracks were detectable after 26 days and that several more cracks were produced after 54 days. So majority of the cracks in the 110-day were likely produced after 54 days of testing. The NS4/clay mixture was found to be less aggressive than the NS4 solution for both steels studied. The cracks in the prototype Grade 550 (X-80) steel were deeper and more numerous in comparison with the X-65 steel. Possible reasons for this observation are also explored in terms of the presence of martensite-austenite (MA) phase in the Grade 550 (X-80) steel.

Tests were conducted on X80 and X100 pipe steels at 95% specified minimum yield stress in NS4 solution mixed with soil using specimens machined along the transverse direction of the pipes. Crack initiation in X100 is much easier than in X80. With test time increasing from 110 to 220 days, less numerous but deeper cracks were found in both pipe steels. Cracks showed higher growth rates in the transverse specimens than those in longitudinal ones. TEM results revealed concentration of Ni or Cr elements, formation of oxide layer at crack walls, and TiN-related dissolution at the crack tip.

Near-neutral pH stress corrosion cracking (NNpHSCC) continues to be a concern for existing high pressure pipelines used to transport oil and gas in Canada. Although several studies have focused on the role of pipe steel microstructure on the initiation and growth of NNpHSCC, most used specimens machined from sub-surface locations that did not preserve the original pipe surface, which is the material that ultimately exposed. In the present work, a series of test specimens were designed to preserve the external pipe surface and allowed shallow 0.05 mm root radius surface notches with depths from 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 mm to be machined and tested. All specimens were machined in the hoop (transverse) direction from a 1067 mm diameter, 12.5 mm thick X80 pipe. The specimens were subjected to a constant load of 95% of the specified minimum yield strength (SMYS) (equivalent to 80% of the actual pipe hoop yield strength) using proof rings for extended durations, e.g., 110, 220, 440 or 660 days. The results show that there was no apparent SCC developed on the smooth specimens with the original surface even after being tested for up to 660 days. In contrast, SCC were found to have initiated at the machined notches, irrespective of their depth after testing for 220 days. To provide further understanding of specimen design, the same SCC testing conditions were applied to smooth round-bar test specimens machined in the hoop direction of this same pipe close to the external surface and the mid-wall locations. While minor SCC initiation was found in the near surface specimens, significant SCC was observed in the specimens taken from the mid-wall location. This finding suggests that the heterogeneous or variable microstructure through the pipe wall thickness plays a critical role in SCC initiation for the X80 pipe investigated. It also suggests that careful attention must be paid to the design of test specimens as well as the location that they are removed from a test pipe in order to realistically assess the SCC susceptibility of pipe steels.

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in near-neutral pH environment remains a major concern for high pressure pipelines transporting oil and gas in Canada since its first discovery in 1980s. A variety of laboratory experiments and models have been developed to address different aspects of this complex problem. Full-scale pipe SCC testing using soil box that mimics the condition in the field can directly assess crack growth in terms of pressure level, range of pressure fluctuation, soil conditions, etc. This type of test also offers the most direct validation of SCC models. A state-of-the-art full-scale SCC pipe testing facility has been established at CanmetMATERIALS Hamilton Laboratory. The facility includes a new hydraulic power unit (HPU), an upgraded 500 kN fatigue frame, and a new 2000 psi (14MPa) pressurization system. In addition, a 24-channel direct current potential drop (DCPD) unit has been refurnished for in-situ monitoring of crack growth. The full-scale pipe SCC testing facility has been successfully used to measure crack growth in an X-70 (Grade 483) large diameter (914 mm or 36” OD) spiral seam-welded pipe. Six axial cracks were made using saw cutting and fatigue pre-cracking in the base metal and across the spiral-weld metal. All cracks were buried under two types of soil boxes with soil obtained from a near-neutral pH SCC pipeline failure site mixed with distilled water or NS4 solution. The pH of the solution was maintained between 6.9 and 7.2 throughout the testing. Several loading conditions were tested and DCPD was used to monitor SCC growth rate during all the tests. No detectable growth was observed in the cracks of weld area during all the tests mainly due to over-matching strength. Crack growth was also not detected for the base metal until the maximum pressure was raised up to 95% SMYS with R = 0.7. The threshold of the range of stress intensity factor, (ΔK)th for SCC is thus estimated to be between 11.53 to 13.52 MPa m1/2. The measured average crack growth rate was 5.98×10−7 mm/s.

Please note that for Fig. 14 in this article as published the same photo is mistakenly given as is correctly given for Fig. 16. Below is the correct photo for Fig. 14.