A Study on Stress Corrosion Cracking of X70 Pipeline Steel in Carbonate Solution by EIS

Abstract

In this study, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) simultaneously with the slow strain rate testing were used to investigate the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of X70 pipeline steel in high pH bicarbonate solution at different applied potentials. Potentiostatic EIS tests were also conducted at certain times to determine the changes associated with the SCC. Circuit models for the cracking were proposed by the use of the potentiostatic EIS measurements at different applied potentials. Finally, the results of the potentiostatic EIS tests and the SSR tests showed the decline of the circuit element resistance by increasing the stress which was related to the cracking. It was also observed that the X70 pipeline steel was most susceptible to SCC at potential of −650 mV versus SCE.