L51577 Prediction of SCC Susceptibility Based on Mechanical Properties of Line Pipe Steels

If a relationship between the deformation properties of a line pipe steel and its stress-corrosion cracking resistance can be established, then steels may be selected or designed for improved stress-corrosion resistance, based on their mechanical properties.

Benefit: In this research program three line pipe steels, removed from long-term service, were examined to determine if there is a correlation between their mechanical properties and stress-corrosion cracking resistance. The hypothesis was that the steel with the greatest tendency for strain hardening, under cyclic and monotonic stress conditions would also have the highest threshold stress for stress-corrosion crack initiation. This hypothesis was verified by the laboratory experiments, which showed the steel with the greatest tendency for strain hardening to have the highest resistance to stress-corrosion. Two other steels, with distinctly lower resistance to plastic deformation, had lower threshold stresses for stress-corrosion. This observation is consistent with the present concept of stress-corrosion crack growth, which holds that crack tip dissolution, and hence crack propagation, occurs because localized plastic deformation ruptures passive films or prevents film formation resulting in crack growth.

Result: The cyclic strain behavior of these three steels is consistent with their monotonic stress-strain curves. Both Steels A and B showed a point of extreme strain as the cyclic stress was increased. Their monotonic stress-strain curves both showed well pronounced yield points above which a considerable strain accompanied a small stress increment (low strain hardening). For both steels the rapid increase in cyclic strain occurred at approximately the elevated temperature yield point (45 ksi for Steel A