Effect of Microstructure on Hydrogen Induced Cracking Behavior of a High Deformability Pipeline Steel

The hydrogen induced cracking （HIC） behavior of a high deformability pipeline steel was investigated with three different dual-phase microstructures, ferrite and bainite （F＋B）, ferrite and martensite/austenite islands （F＋M/A） and ferrite and martensite （F＋M）, respectively. The HIC test was conducted in hydrogen sulfide （H2S）-saturated solution. The results showed that the steels with F＋B and F＋M/A dual-phase microstructures had both higher deformability and better HIC resistance, whereas the harder martensite phase in F＋M microstructure was responsible for the worst HIC resistance. The band-like hard phase in dual-phase mi- crostructure was believed to lead to increasing susceptibility to HIC.

Effect of Rare Earth and Cooling Process on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of an Ultra-Cleaned X80 Pipeline Steel

In order to explore the eff ect of a small amount of rare earth addition in ultra-cleaned pipeline steel and the influence of the cooling process on the tensile and impact properties,three API X80 pipeline steels were fabricated by varying RE addition and the cooling process at the same time.Three microstructures with different features for a low C high Nb microalloyed high-strength pipeline steel and the corresponding mechanical properties were investigated.The results showed that even in the ultra-cleaned steel with O and S contents less than 10 ppm,the addition of RE would still cause an increase in the volume fraction of inclusions consisting of complicated RE oxysulfide and RE sulfide.More inclusions formed in the 112 ppm RE steel were harmful to the low temperature toughness,while few inclusions formed in the 47 ppm RE steel had almost no influence on the low temperature toughness.The two RE additions had no effect on strength of the steels.As the finishing cooling temperature was increased and the cooling rate was decreased within a certain range,the volume fractions of polygonal ferrite and quasi-polygonal ferrite as well as the number density and size of martensite–austenite islands were increased.Under such combined effect,the strength of the steels had almost no change.As the finishing cooling temperature was increased from 481 to 584℃and the cooling rate was reduced from 20 to 13℃/s,for the steel with 112 ppm addition of RE,there was an obvious decrease in the low temperature toughness.The reduced value(about 33 J)of the USE of steel consisted of two parts including the influence(about 18 J)of more inclusions formed due to 112 ppm addition of RE and the eff ect(about 15 J)of the lower high-angle grain boundaries.

HIC and SSC Behavior of High-Strength Pipeline Steels

In this study,hydrogen-induced cracking（HIC） and sulfide stress corrosion cracking（SSC） behaviors of highstrength pipeline steels in four different strength grades（X70,X80,X90 and X100） with the microstructure of acicular ferrite were estimated.The results showed that both of X70 and X80 steels exhibited better HIC resistance,and their susceptibility to HIC increased with the strength grade.HIC parameters,including cracking length ratio,cracking thickness ratio（CTR） and cracking sensitivity ratio,were all increased,and among these,the CTR increased most,with the increase in the strength grade.HIC was found to initiate and grow along the hard boundaries such as large size martensite/austenite（M/A） islands and bainitic ferrite.In addition,the density of hydrogen-induced blister on the steel surface was increased with the decrease in p H value for the same-grade pipeline steels.SSC susceptibilities of X80,X90 and X90-C were revealed to subsequently decrease,which was related to the large size M/A islands.

Effect of Cu Addition in Pipeline Steels on Microstructure,Mechanical Properties and Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion

In the present study, Cu-modified pipeline steels were fabricated to mitigate MIC by the antimicrobial ability of Cu element. The microstructure, mechanical properties and the antimircobial performance of the Cu-modified steel were systematically investigated. The Cu-modified steels showed good antimicrobial performance with remarkable strength enhancement by nanoscale Cu-rich precipitates and good impact toughness without changing the original base microstructures after the optimal aging treatment of 500 °C/1 h.

Strength, strain capacity and toughness of five dual-phase pipeline steels

The effect of microstructures on strength,strain capacity and low temperature toughness of a micro-alloyed pipeline steel was elucidated.Five various dual-phase microstructures,namely,acicular ferrite and a small amount of(around 2 vol.%)polygonal ferrite(AF+PF),polygonal ferrite and bainite(PF+B),polygonal ferrite and martensite/austenite islands(PF+M/A),polygonal ferrite and martensite(PF+M)and elongated polygonal ferrite and martensite(ePF+M),have been studied.Experimental results show that AF+PF microstructure has high yield strength and excellent low temperature toughness,whereas its yield ratio is the highest.Polygonal ferrite-based dual-phase steels,PF+B,PF+M/A and PF+M microstructures show better strain capacity and low temperature toughness.The strain capacity and low temperature toughness of ePF+M microstructure are the worst due to its high strength.The relationship between microstructure,strength,strain capacity and toughness has been established.Based on the results,the optimum microstructure for a better combination of strength,strain capacity and toughness is suggested to be the one having appropriate polygonal ferrite as second phase in an acicular ferrite matrix.