Effect of cooling temperature on the microstructure and corrosion behavior of X80 pipeline steel

Dual-phase accelerated cooling(DPAC) was applied to X80 pipeline steel to obtain its microstructure with different amounts of bainite and ferrite. The microstructure, hardness, and polarization behaviors of the steel, cooled to different temperatures, were investigated. Results showed that, with decreasing cooling temperature, the amount of polygon ferrite(PF) increased while that of acicular ferrite(AF) decreased. The amount of bainite correspondingly decreased, except when cooled to 760°C. Moreover, the grain size of ferrite increased. The corrosion behaviors of different phases were distinct. Martensite/austenite(M/A) islands presented at the grain boundary of the PF phase caused small pits. Numerous micro-corrosion cells were formed in the AF and bainite phases, where micropores were prone to form. X80 pipeline steel cooled to 700°C had the best corrosion resistance in the simulated seawater. The decreased amount of the PF phase reduced the area of cathode, resulting in slight corrosion. About 40 vol% of the bainite phase provided strength while the PF phase provided adequate ductility to the X80 steel. It was concluded that the appropriate cooling temperature was 700°C for ideal corrosion resistance and mechanical properties.

Microstructure Characteristics and Mechanical Properties of X80 Pipeline Steels

The relation between microstructure characteristics and mechanical properties of X80 pipeline steels was investigated using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, etc. It is shown that the structure consists of polygonal ferrite （PF）, quasi-polygonal ferrite （QPF）, acicular ferrite （AF）, and granular bainitic ferrite （GF）. With increasing volume fraction of M-A islands （below 3%）, the yield strength increases. With increasing content of higher angle grain boundaries（HAGBs）, the yield strength, elongation, and DWTT properties at -15 ℃ increase, and the volume fraction of M-A islands reaches its highest point in the steel containing the most volume fraction of GF.

Investigation of the impact toughness of self- shielded flux- cored wire girth welds for X80 pipelines

Self-shielded flux-cored wire is a convenient and efficient consumable for pipeline field girth welding because of its self-protection characteristic and high deposition rate, especially for remote construction sites in rugged terrain. From the perspective of pipeline safety, the impact toughness of the girth welds is an important factor in pipeline integrity ,which determines the crack arrest behavior in the girth welds. Therefore, improving the girth weld impact toughness is of primary importance in the field of pipeline girth welding. Three self-shielded flux-cored wires comprising different chemical composition systems have been applied to large diameter X80 UOE （U-ing-O- ing-Expanding） pipeline semi-automatic girth welding,and the impact toughness of the welds has been evaluated by girth weld chemical composition analysis and microstructural analysis using scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and energy dispersive spectrometry （EDS） to investigate pipeline girth weld impact toughness and find ways to improve it. This helps in determining the main factors that influence girth weld impact toughness. Pipeline girth weld impact toughness is mainly determined by the final microstructure produced in the solid-state phase transition. In the as-weld state,acicular ferrite （AF） and fine bainite （FB） are a benefit to the impact toughness. For multilayer semiautomatic self-shielded flux-cored wire welding, the normalizing and tempering function of the latter beads to the initial beads plays an important role in the transition of girth weld microstructure, which affects the impact toughness. The original AF and FB and the corresponding heat treatment microstructure of the fine and uniform block ferrite and pearlite result in very good impact toughness. The following two mechanisms are found to promote the production of AF and FB in the girth weld. First, elements promoting the broadening of the austenitic region, such as Ni, C, Cu, and Mn, induce low temperature phase transitions and restrain the opposing function of Al, which is a benefit to the production of AF and FB. Second, dispersed high-melting-point inclusions, especially Al2O3 ,induce the nucleated production of AF. The advantageous function of inclusions is determined by their shape, distribution, and dimension. Dispersed spherical inclusions of small dimension are a benefit to the production of AF, and result in good impact toughness.

Influence of different microstructural features on impact toughness and crack initiation behavior of coarse grain heat-affected zone in X80 pipeline steel

Coarse grain heat-affected zone samples of X80 pipeline steel under different heat inputs were obtained through thermal welding simulation experiments with Gleeble 3500.Charpy impact tests and a combination of multiscale characterizations were conducted to investigate the influence of various microstructural features on impact toughness and crack initiation behavior.The results prove that, as the heat input increases, the number of M/A components increases, thereby degrading toughness and increasing hardness.Meanwhile, more M/A constituents tend to aggregate on prior austenite grain boundaries(PAGBs),and the overall dimensions of M/A and the width and volume fraction of the lath martensite substructure inside M/A islands would increase as well.These changes make intersections between boundary M/As and PAGBs become one of the preferred sites for crack initiation.In addition, only large-sized grotesque inclusions can act as a direct inducement of crack initiation.

Effects of Carbon on the CG HAZ Toughness and Transformation of X80 Pipeline Steel

X80 pipeline steel produced by TMCP has high strength and high toughness with ultrafine grain microstructure. The mi-crostructure coarsens and the toughness worsens at the coarse grained (CG) HAZ apparently after weld simulation. The experimental results indicated that the bainitic ferrite and the second phases formed at cooling are differently as the variation of carbon in base metal. In low carbon steels, the bainitic ferrite laths are long and narrow, the second phases are complex including residual austenite, martensite, the M-A constituent and the Fe3C carbide. The formation of Fe3C carbide is the main reason of the poor toughness in CG HAZ. The ultralow carbon in base metal, however, can improve the CG HAZ toughness through restraining the formation of carbides, decreasing the M-A constituent, increasing the residual austenite content, which are beneficial to the CG HAZ toughness.

Microstructures and Plane Energy Spectra of X80 Pipeline Steel Welded Joints by Submerged Arc Automatic Welding

X80 pipeline steel was welded with submerged arc automatic welding, the microstructures, cavity sizes, fusion depths and plane scanning of chemical elements in the welded zone, fusion zone, heat affected zone and base steel were observed with OM（optical microscope） and SEM（scanning electron microscope）, respectively. The experimental results show that there is main acicular ferrite in the base steel and welded zone, the microscopic structure of fusion zone is a blocked bainite, and the heat affected zone is composed of multilateral ferrite and pearlite. M-A unit of the welded zone is the main factor to strengthen the welded zone, composed of acicular ferrites. The percentage of cavities in the welded joint is less than that in the base steel, which is beneficial to increasing its mechanical performance and corrosion resistance. The fusion depth in the fusion zone and welded zone is 101.13 μm and 115.85 μm, respectively, and the distribution of chemical elements in the welded zone is uniform, no enrichment phenomena.

Stress Corrosion of X80 Pipeline Steel Welded Joints by Slow Strain Test in NACE H_2S Solutions

The X80 pipeline steel was welded with the way of submerged arc welding. The SST （slow strain test） of the welded joint samples in the air, NACE （National Association of Corrosion Engineers） solution （no H2S）, NACE solution （saturated H2S） was performed to research the sensibility index of SCC （stress corrosion cracking） Iscc. The morphologies of the welded joint fractures and the fracture modes were observed with SEM （scanning electron microscope）, and the fracture chemical compositions were analyzed with EDS （energy dispersive spectrometer）, respectively. The fracture mechanisms of the welded joints were discussed. The results show that sensibility index of SCC in the air is not obvious, the fracture is dimple, and the mode of fracture is ductile fracture. The sensibility index of SCC in NACE solution （no H2S） is 13.21%, the stress corrosion is not obvious. The sample fracture shows quasi cleavage＋dimple, and the fracture mode is toughness＋brittle rupture. The sensibility index of SCC in NACE solution （saturated H2S） is 56.94%, the plastic loss is the most serious, appearing an obvious stress corrosion tendency, and there is no obvious necking phenomenon. The fracture mode is brittle fracture, and the sample fracture has a high sulfur concentration, prompting S to a aliquation of crisp crystal in the welded zone, and making its mechanical properties worsen.

Stress Corrosion Cracking of X80 Pipeline Steel in Near-Neutral pH Environment under Constant Load Tests with and without Preload

Constant load tests in NS4 solution purged with N2-5%CO2 gas mixture were conducted on American Petroleum Institute （API） X80 pipeline steel applied in the 2nd West-East （;as Pipeline project with and without preload. The results show that cracks could initiate and propagate in X80 pipeline steel in near-neutral pH environment under a constant load condition. The life of crack initiation and propagation increased with decreasing applied stress. Preload did not change its corrosion behavior obviously. However, preload reduced the time for crack initiation.

Development mechanism of internal local corrosion of X80 pipeline steel

The occurrence and development mechanism of internal local corrosion has always been a controversial topic,and especially under flow conditions.In this paper,an improved high shear force loop was experimentally used,and local flow field is induced by simulating corrosion defects on the surface of X80 pipeline steel specimens.The characteristics of corrosion products deposited on the surface of specimens in CO2-saturated NACE solution were investigated by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),and energy dispersive spectrometry(EDS).The 3D micromorphology of the corrosion test surface after remove the corrosion scale used to measure the size of localized corrosion pit.Under the influence of local defects,the wall shear stress(WSS)and turbulent kinetic energy of local flow fields enhanced significantly,and pressure fluctuations in local flow field were induced.The results showed that the characteristics of surface corrosion products varied with flow velocity.The corrosion scales formed in various regions of specimens with defects exhibited different surface micro-morphologies and chemical compositions.Overall,these data offer new perspectives for better understanding the mechanisms behind local corrosion.

Stern-Geary Constant for X80 Pipeline Steel in the Presence of Different Corrosive Microorganisms

The Stern-Geary constant(B value)is indispensable to measure the corrosion rate in the microbiologically influenced corrosion(MIC)systems.Linear polarization resistance(LPR)and weight loss methods were used to study the variation of B values for X80 pipeline steel in the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Acetobacter aceti and Desulfovibrio vulgaris.The results showed that B values in the presence of three different bacteria were 35.60±0.55 mV,33.00±1.00 mV and 58.60±0.55 mV,respectively,suggesting that the change of corrosion system significantly affected the B values of X80 pipeline steel.This work further indicated that the determination of B values is necessary to accurately measure the MIC rate by LPR method.

Austenitization Behaviors of X80 Pipeline Steel With High Nb and Trace Ti Treatment

The austenitization behaviors of two high niohium-containing X80 pipeline steels with different titanium contents, including the dissolution of microalloying precipitates and the austenite grain growth, were investigated by using physical-chemical phase analysis method and microstructural observation. The results illustrated that most niobium could be dissolved into austenite during soaking at 1 180 ℃, whereas little amount of titanium could be dissolved. It was found that during soaking, the austenite grain growth rate was initially high, and then decreased after soaking for 1 h; moreover, the austenite grains grew up more rapidly at temperatures above 1 180 ℃ than below 1 180 ℃. The results show that the steel with titanium content of 0. 016% has a larger austenite grain size than that with titanium content of 0. 012% under the same soaking conditions, which is explained by considering the particle size distribution.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Intercritical Heat-affected Zone of X80 Pipeline Steel in Simulated In-Service Welding

The intercritical heat-affected zone（ICHAZ） of X80 pipeline steel was simulated by using the Gleeble-3500thermal/mechanical simulator according to the thermal cycle of in-service welding.The microstructures of ICHAZ with different cooling rates were examined,and the hardness,the toughness and corresponding fractography were investigated.Results show that untransformed bainite and ferrite as well as retransformed fine bainite and martensite–austenite（M–A）constituents constitute the microstructure of ICHAZ.The two different morphologies of M–A constituents are stringer and block.Second phase particles which mainly composed of Ti,Nb,C,Fe and Cu coarsened in ICHAZ.Compared with normal welding condition,the toughness of ICHAZ is poor when the cooling time is short under in-service welding condition because of the large area fraction and size of M–A constituents that connect into chains and distribute at the grain boundaries.The Vickers hardness of ICHAZ that decreases with the increase in the cooling time is independent with the area fraction of M–A constituents.

Effect of sulfate-reducing bacteria on corrosion of X80 pipeline steel under disbonded coating in a red soil solution

Effect of sulfate-reducing bacteria on the corrosion behaviors of API-X80 pipeline steel has been studied in crevices under simulated disbonded coatings in red soil solution.The results show that there are amounts of SRB in the crevice under the simulated disbonded coating in the red soil solution during the whole period of experiment.The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy shows that SRB can enhance the corrosion of the steel in the crevice under the simulated disbonded coating,and the thermodynamic analyses indicate that SRB can accelerate the corrosion of steel using not only sulfate but also ferric hydroxide as electron acceptors.

Variation of Non-Metallic Inclusions Composition in X80 Pipeline Steel Refined by High Basicity Slag

The transformation of inclusions was studied when control technology of refining top slag in ladle furnace was used in X80 pipeline steelmaking.Sufficient amount of aluminum was added to experimental heats for final deoxidation during BOF tapping,and then the refining top slag with high basicity and strong reducibility was adopted to transform Al 2 O 3 to inclusions with low melting point.The results show that the composition of inclusions changes in order of "Al 2 O 3 → MgO-Al 2 O 3 system→ CaO-MgO-Al 2 O 3 system→ CaO-Al 2 O 3 system".And the inclusions after LF refining are liquid or semi-liquid state at the temperature of steelmaking,which are easily removable to obtain high cleanliness steel by collision,agglomeration and flotation.

Effect of Ti-enriched Carbonitride on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of X80 Pipeline Steel

In this study,two API X80 pipeline steels were fabricated by varying Ti additions,and their microstructures and fracture characteristics were analyzed to investigate the effects of Ti-enriched carbonitride on the tensile properties and Charpy impact properties.Lathy bainite,a mass of matensite/austenite（M/A）,coarse cubic Ti-enriched inclusions,chain-typed Ti-enriched precipitations,weak toughness and high tensile strength were found as consequences of higher amount of Ti content.Those large scale and chain-typed Ti-enriched carbonitrides are one kind of crack sources during fracture.The negative effect of higher amount of Ti on the impact properties is increased with decreased temperature.

FEM Simulation of the Hydrogen Diffusion in X80 Pipeline Steel During Stacking for Slow Cooling

The influence of temperature on the hydrogen diffusion behavior in X80 pipeline steel during stacking for slow cooling was studied using electrochemical penetration method, the temperature field and the hydrogen diffusion in this pipeline steel during stacking for slow cooling were simulated by ABAQUS finite element method （FEM） software. The results show that in this process there is a reciprocal relationship between the natural logarithm of hydrogen diffusion coefficient and temperature. The cooling rate decreases gradually with the increase of steel plate thickness. The hydrogen content is higher at high temperature （500-400 ℃） than that in low temperature region （300-100 ℃）. The FEM simulation results are consistent with the experimental ones, and the model can be used to predict the hydrogen diffusion behavior in industrial production of X80 pipeline steel.

Simulation study on heat-affected zone of high-strain X80 pipeline steel

The microstructure evolution and impact-toughness variation of heat-affected zone（HAZ）in X80 highstrain pipeline steel were investigated via a welding thermal-simulation technique,Charpy impact tests,and scanning electron microscopy observations under different welding heat inputs and peak temperatures.The results indicate that when heat input was between 17 and 25kJ·cm^（-1）,the coarse-grained heat-affected zone showed improved impact toughness.When the heat input was increased further,the martensite-austenite（M-A）islands transformed from fine lath into a massive block.Therefore,impact toughness was substantially reduced.When the heat input was 20kJ·cm^（-1） and the peak temperature of the first thermal cycle was between 900 and 1300°C,a higher impact toughness was obtained.When heat input was 20kJ·cm^（-1） and the peak temperature of the first thermal cycle was 1300°C,the impact toughness value at the second peak temperature of 900°C was higher than that at the second peak temperature of 800°C because of grain refining and uniformly dispersed M-A constituents in the matrix of bainite.

Effects of Cooling Paths on Through-Thickness Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Heavy Gauge X80 Pipeline Steel

The effects of various cooling paths on uniformity of through-thickness microstructure and mechanical properties of X80 pipeline steel of 22.0 mm in thickness were studied. The finite difference method was employed to calculate the temperature field during cooling. It was confirmed by the experimental result and temperature field calculation that the optimizing process was achieved by the ultra-fast cooling with medium cooling capacity（cooling rate of ＊23 K/s）followed by ultimate cooling capacity（cooling rate of ＊50 K/s）. After optimization, the experimental steel displayed much uniform microstructure and the deviation of through-thickness hardness was controlled within 20 HV. In addition,the yield strength, tensile strength and elongation of the experimental steel were 621, 728 MPa and 21.5%, respectively,meeting the requirements of the API standard for X80 pipeline steels.

Effect of Nb on Mechanical Properties of HAZ for High-Nb X80 Pipeline Steels

The mechanical properties of heat affected zone （HAZ） of two commercial high-Nb X80 grade pipeline steels with different alloy elements were investigated using thermal simulation performed on a Gleeble-3500 thermal simulator. The results showed that the high-Nb steels have excellent weldability. Ernbrittlement regions appear in coarse grain heat affected zone （CGHAZ） and intercritically heat affected zone （ICHAZ） ~ Softening region appears in fine-grain heat affected zone （FGHAZ）, and the strength here was even lower than 555 MPa as required in the standard. Meanwhile, with the increase of heat input, the strength and the toughness of HAZ of steel with high Nb, C and lower alloy decrease notably. Therefore, take into account the welding procedure during manufacture of weld pipe, suitable amount of alloy elements, such as Cr, Ni, Cu, Mo and so on, is necessary for high Nb X80 heavy- thick steel plate.

Evolution of MnS inclusions in Ti-bearing X80 pipeline steel

Studies show that manganese sulfide （MnS） inclusions in pipeline steel affect the lateral performance of steel in its rolling deformation, as well as the hydrogen induced cracking and sulfide stress corrosion cracking resistance performance. To inhibit the precipitation of MnS and its effect on pipeline steel, a quenching experiment and a diffusion couple experiment, which investigated the evolution of MnS inclu sions in Ti bearing X80 pipeline steel, were conducted. The experimental results show that the transfor marion of the MnS inclusions during solidification is as follows： MnS→titanium sulfide （TiS） →Ti4 C2S2. The transition temperatures of MnS to TiS and TiS to Ti4C2S2 are 1673 and 1273 K, respectively, and the overall size of the sulfide decreased as well. Thermodynamic calculation results confirm that the transi tion temperatures of MnS to TiS and TiS to Ti4C2S2 are 1 623 and 1 203 K, respectively. When the sulfur content in the X80 pipeline steel is 0. 0015%, all the sulfur in the steel can be converted into Ti4C2S2 with a titanium content of more than 0.02%.