Effect of deteriorated microstructures on stress corrosion cracking of X70 pipeline steel in acidic soil environment

In order to investigate stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of X70 pipeline steel and its weld joint area in acidic soil environment in China, two simulating methods were used: one was to obtain bad microstructures in heat affected zone by annealing at 1300°C for 10 min and then, quenching in water; the other was to get different simulating solutions of acidic soil in Yingtan in southeast China. The SCC susceptibilities of X70 pipeline steel before and after quenching in the simulating solutions were analyzed using slow stain rate test (SSRT) and potentiodynamic polarization technique to investigate the SCC electrochemical mechanism of different microstructures further. The results show that SCC appears in the original microstructure and the quenched microstructure as the polarization potential decreases. Hydrogen revolution accelerates SCC of the two tested materials within the range of −850 mV to −1200 mV vs. SCE. Microstructural hardening and grain coarsening also increase SCC. The SCC mechanisms are different, anodic dissolution is the key of causing SCC as the polarization potential is higher than the null current potential, and hydrogen embrittlement will play a more important role to SCC as the polarization potential lower than the null current potential.