Fundamentals of hydrogen evolution reaction and its implications on near-neutral pH stress corrosion cracking of pipelines

In this work, electrochemical techniques were utilized to investigate the hydrogen evolution reaction on X-70 pipe steel and the hydrogen permeation through the steel in near-neutral pH environmental condition. The results demonstrate that the steel has always been in an active-dissolution state in near-neutral pH solution and there is no film formed on the steel surface. Hydrogen evolution is inhibited by anodic polarization of the steel, which is attributed to the alternation of hydrogen evolution mechanism and kinetics on the anodially polarized steel. Combined with slow strain rate tensile tests, it is found that the high susceptibility of steel to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is always associated with a high hydrogen permeation current. A thermodynamic model was developed, by analyzing the change in free-energy of the steel in the presence and absence of hydrogen and stress, to determine the interactions of hydrogen, stress and anodic dissolution at the crack-tip. The role of hydrogen involvement in pipeline near-neutral pH SCC could be determined quantitatively by characterizing the effect of hydrogen concentration on the dissolution rate of steel and the synergism of hydrogen and stress to promote crack growth.