Effect of Buffer System on the Sulfide Stress Cracking Susceptibility of Low-Alloy Steel

The effects of a buffer system in test solution and CO2 partial pressure on sulfide stress cracking (SSC) susceptibility of low-alloy steel were investigated under pH 4.0 at 0.03 MPa H2S partial pressure. A double cantilever beam test was used to quantitatively evaluate SSC susceptibility. The corrosion rates and absorbed diffusible hydrogen concentration were also evaluated. Acetic acid/sodium acetate (acetate buffered solution) and carbonic acid/bicarbonate (bicarbonate buffered solution) buffered solutions were used as buffer systems in this study. From the results, in atmospheric pressure tests, K-ISSC values in bicarbonate buffered solutions were equivalent to or lower than those in acetate buffered solutions. In high CO2 partial pressure conditions, KISSC values in bicarbonate buffered solutions were much higher than those in acetate buffered solutions. At a high CO2 partial pressure and H2S partial pressure (pCO(2)/pH(2)S)ratio condition, hydrogen entry is considered to be greatly prevented by corrosion products probably containing amorphous iron carbonate. Presence of the corrosion product with high protectiveness produced in the high pCO(2)/pH(2)S ratio condition suggests the possibility that conventional test conditions using acetate buffered solutions are conservative or are equivalent test conditions for actual field conditions.