A systematic study examining the pitting corrosion behavior of X-65 carbon steel in CO 2 -saturated 10 wt. % NaCl brine is presented. The paper examines the impact of changes in a key environmental parameter (temperature) on the pitting corrosion processes of carbon steel. Pit propagation studies are conducted in static conditions at different operational temperatures. The evolution of corrosion products on carbon steel is followed over 168 hours of immersion and their characteristics are related to initiation and growth of pits on the steel surface. The developed corrosion products are studied through the use of X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The extent of pitting is evaluated through the implementation of surface interferometry to study discrete pit geometry; namely, the size and depth, whilst the general corrosion rate is evaluated using linear polarization resistance measurements. The results indicate that pitting corrosion dominates the general thickness loss of the material in conditions where the morphology of the corrosion product layer is predominantly cementite (Fe 3 C) and/or a form of iron carbonate (FeCO 3 ) often referred to in literature as 'amorphous' FeCO 3 . At 30 o C and 50 o C, pit propagation continued unhindered despite the growth of an amorphous FeCO 3 layer. However, at 80 o C, results suggest that a 'self-healing' effect involving the precipitation of substantial levels of nano-scale polycrystalline FeCO 3 is capable of hindering the growth of active pits in the conditions evaluated. The results also reflect that in instances where high general corrosion rates of the steel surface are observed, the growth rate of pits were heavily underestimated by profilometry measurements (which recorded pit depths relative to the corroded surface). The concept of 'relative' pitting and 'absolute' pitting rates/depths are consequently introduced and the discrepancies between both interpretations are discussed.
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.