investigation of causes of severe perforation of supply

gas pipeline after just four years of installation

Presented By
Md Imam Uddin
ID-199010
 Overview of Slides

➢ Visual Analysis of Sample

➢ Mechanical Analysis of Sample
➢ EDX Analysis of Soil
➢ Chemical Analysis of Sample
➢ Focus on Failure Reason
➢ Focus on Cathodic Protection
➢ Final Reasons behind the failure
➢ Preventing these types of failure in the Future.
 Visual Analysis of Sample

❑Used black tape to cover the Full pipe

but the Tape did not cover the full
portion of the pipe

❑It may occur due to the joint of pipe to

pipe

❑It may be a Crevice created between

Tape and Steel pipe surface

❑Water may be Transfer from soil in the

Formation of the Crevice portion
❑The internal surface displays minor and
even corrosion

❑A welding seam is visible, suggesting that

the pipe was joined together through
longitudinal welding

❑There is no evident selective corrosion

along the longitudinal weld.

❑Corrosion did not appear to begin from

the inside surface.
❑Severe corrosion has penetrated through
the thickness and appears to have
started from an external surface before
spreading inward.

❑The points of failure are located beneath

the area where tapes overlap.

❑Rusting happened in a region below the

tape where the tape was cut. leading to
visible protrusions in the tape.
❑EDX Data of soil vary from one place to
another place.

❑ The Maximum Data sheet shows a higher

percentage of Oxygen (O), and also Silicon
(Si)

❑At the same time, Soil contains Halogen

group elements like F & Cl.

❑The Concentration of Cl is very high in

some localized places, which is a corrosive
element. Finally, we can say that Oxygen,
Chloride, and fluoride ions are dissolved in
water which comes from soil.
 Chemical Analysis
Chemical composition of the sample, wt %

C Si Mn S P
0.17 0.19 0.33 0.017 0.007

The chemical composition of AISI 1017 carbon steel (Standard )

C Si Mn S P
0.14-0.20 0.4 0.30-0.60 ≤ 0.050 ≤ 0.040

Comment: The element composition of the sample almost equivalent to the AISI
standard composition
Ref: https://www.matweb.com/search/DataSheet.aspx?MatGUID=2968badc9617444f9ef8483501668ec0
 Mechanical Analysis of the Sample

Tensile Properties
Sample Orientation Sample Yield Average Yield Tensile Average tensile Elongation Average
number Strength Strength Strength Strength (MPa) (GL=50.8mm) Elongation
(MPa) (MPa) (MPa) % %
1 338 468 38.1

L90 : longitudinal Sample 2 345 340 477 470 37.7

37.6
3 336 465 37.1

Standard Properties
Tensile strength(Ultimate ) Tensile Strength (Yield ) Elongation at Break

405 MPa 340 MPa 18%

Ref: https://www.matweb.com/search/DataSheet.aspx?MatGUID=2968badc9617444f9ef8483501668ec0
 Failure Mechanism
Crevice Corrosion
❑ Crevice corrosion occurs at locations where
oxygen cannot freely circulate such as tight
joints. Soil water seeps in under tape into the
crevice.

❑ Anodic Reaction
4M→4M⁺ +4e-

❑ Cathodic reaction
O2+2H2O+4e=4OH-

❑ The positively charged metallic ions are

electrostatically counterbalanced by OH-
❑ the cathodic reaction inside the crevice
consumed most of the oxygen available.

❑ Cl- and OH- diffuse into the crevice to

maintain a minimum potential energy. Metal
chloride is formed. Hydrolysis of metal
chloride lowers pH and
MCl+ H2O = M(OH)+ HCl

❑ More M+ ions attack more Cl- leads to lower

pH inside the crevice, metal dissolution
accelerates and more M+ ions will be
produced that will lower pH

❑ In this case, F- ions may have played a role as

well
 Failure of Cathodic Protection
Several reasons may occurred behind the Cathodic
Protection Failure
❑ Unless the anode is buried properly at the same time using
improper Conductive backfill then the voltage cannot be
transferred to surrounding soil.

❑ The soil may hinder the proper conduction of electricity,

leading to potential failure for the current from the anode to
reach the pipe.

❑ Moreover, if the pipe is shielded by tape coverings, it may

prevent protection current and lead to crevice corrosion
underneath.
❑ Additionally, there could be electrical interference from
other buried pipes nearby.
 Result and Discussion
❑The main reason for The failure is Crevice corrosion and
improper cathodic protection.

❑ Inappropriate overlapping of tape and damage which

can easily promote seepage into the crevice

❑Additional Chloride and fluoride propagate the crevice

corrosion
Reference
❑ https://www.matweb.com/search/DataSheet.aspx?MatGUID=7477
6c6095694335ad229ffd7a17a90d
❑ https://soar.wichita.edu/handle/10057/917
❑ https://www.tcenergy.com/siteassets/pdfs/commitment/safety/pip
elines-and-operations/tc-cathodic-protection.pdf