Galvanic corrosion of electric resistance welded X52 steel in CO₂-containing solution

Purpose – This paper aims to report an experimental investigation of the galvanic corrosion that occurs between the base metal and the welds in X52 carbon steel petroleum pipelines when exposed in carbon dioxide (CO₂)-containing saltwater at pH 4 at room temperature. The pipeline was fabricated by electric resistance welding (ERW).

Design/methodology/approach – The experimental setup was a closed glass cell equipped with a silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) reference electrode, two working electrodes (the weld metal and the parent steel specimens) and a gas bubbler. The corrosion potential and polarization resistance of the base metal and the weld were determined using electrochemical testing methods: potentiodynamic polarization scans and linear polarization resistance measurement. The galvanic currents of the base metal when coupled to the weld metal were measured using zero resistance ammetry.

Findings – The weld metal was the anode of the couple for a very short time at the beginning of the experiment and then became the cathode until the end of the experiment. This indicates that electric resistance welded X52 steel pipe is a promising material to be operated in CO₂-containing saltwater at pH 4 and 25°C because the weld area is cathodic to the parent metal, the value of the galvanic current is very low (in the order of nanoamps) and the area of the anode (i.e. the parent metal) is significantly larger than that of the cathode (weld metal).

Originality/value – The new information presented in the paper is the galvanic corrosion behavior between the parent metal and the ERW weld metal of X52 carbon steel in CO₂-containing solutions. The paper should be useful to researchers working in the field of oil industry corrosion.

Research limitations/implications – Further experimental research could be performed to investigate the galvanic corrosion behavior between the parent metal and the weld area of X52 carbon steel petroleum pipelines in CO₂-containing saltwater at different pH values, temperature and velocity.

Practical implications – Electric resistance welded X52 steel pipe is a promising material for use with CO₂-containing saltwater environments at pH 4 and 25°C.