Review of Current Developments on High Strength Pipeline Steels for HIC Inducing Service

Ehsan Entezari; Jorge Luis  González-Velázquez; Diego  Rivas López; Manuel Alejandro Beltrán Zúñiga; Jerzy A.  Szpunar

doi:10.3221/IGF-ESIS.61.02

Authors

Ehsan Entezari Department of Metallurgy and Materials, Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Química e Industrias Extractivas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3379-1761
Jorge Luis González-Velázquez Department of Metallurgy and Materials, Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Química e Industrias Extractivas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico
Diego Rivas López Department of Metallurgy and Materials, Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Química e Industrias Extractivas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4591-719X
Manuel Alejandro Beltrán Zúñiga Department of Metallurgy and Materials, Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Química e Industrias Extractivas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4201-9896
Jerzy A. Szpunar Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Canada https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1291-8375

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3221/IGF-ESIS.61.02

Keywords:

High strength pipeline steels, Hydrogen-induced cracking, Thermomechanical controlled process, HIC growth rate models

Abstract

Nowadays, an increasing number of oil and gas transmission pipes are constructed with high-strength low alloy steels (HSLA); however, many of these pipelines suffer from different types of hydrogen damages, such as hydrogen-induced cracking (HIC). So many research efforts are being carried out to reduce the detrimental effects of hydrogen damage in HSLA steel pipes.

The thermomechanical control process (TMCP) is a microstructural control technique that is able to eliminate the conventional heat treatment after hot rolling. Recent research demonstrated that TMCP provides high HIC resistance without adding high amounts of alloying elements or expensive heat treatments. However, once these HSLA steel pipes are put into service, they experience HIC damage, and the prediction of its kinetics is a necessary condition to perform Fitness-For-Service assessments. To develop a reliable predictive model for the kinetics of HIC, the relations among the microstructural features, environmental parameters, and mechanical properties have to be fully understood.

This paper presents a review of the key metallurgical and processing factors to develop HSLA steel pipes, as well as a review of the phenomenological and empirical models of HIC kinetics in order to identify specific research directions for further investigations aimed to establish a reliable and sound model of HIC kinetics.

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Author Biographies

Jorge Luis González-Velázquez, Department of Metallurgy and Materials, Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Química e Industrias Extractivas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico

Prof. González-Velázquez is a Professor of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering at the Instituto Politecnico Nacional (IPN) in Mexico and Founder and Director of the Pipeline Integrity Assessment Group, with more than 27 years of continued experience on fracture mechanics and integrity assessment of pipelines and oil processing facilities. He has published over 160 papers and authored 3 books on fracture and mechanical behavior of engineering materials. He received the IPN Lazaro Cardenas Award as an outstanding professor in 2007 and the Academy of Distinguished Engineers and Hall of Fame award of The University of Connecticut in 2008.
Jerzy A. Szpunar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Canada

Prof. J.A. Szpunar joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan in August 2009, as Tier I Canada Research Chair. He came from McGill University where he was Professor of Materials Science and Birks Chair in Metallurgy. His research interests extend to various areas of materials-related investigations. In particular, he has longstanding interests in deformation and recrystallization processes in metals; in structure and properties of thin films; in electronic interconnects; in high-temperature oxidation and corrosion; in the synergy of wear, erosion, and corrosion; in the applications of X-ray and neutron diffraction techniques to structure of grain boundaries and other interfaces; in hydrogen ingress into nuclear materials; in intergranular fractures; in fatigue and failure; and in superplasticity and other special properties of nanocrystalline materials.
More recently his research has focused on environmentally friendly energy generation, in particular the extraction and purification of hydrogen, and research on materials used in Candu reactors and Generation IV nuclear reactors. This CRC proposal would create a Canadian Center of innovative research in selected areas of materials development and testing, along with novel techniques to support clean energy programs. The proposed CRC program will also include research on more safe and secure methods and materials for oil and gas transportation.
Dr. Szpunar has a strong record of research productivity. During his 22 years at McGill, 30 Ph.D. students and 15 MEng students graduated under his supervision, and an additional 5 Ph.D. projects are currently close to completion. At UofS he supervises a team of about 25 graduate students and researchers. He was a leader of 49 major research projects – mostly materials-related investigations. The results of his research are presented in more than 1000 research papers (650 in refereed journals papers and 500 in refereed proceedings and as non-refereed publications). Over the past six years, he published on average 26/year journal publications and around 18/year publications in the proceedings.
During his time at McGill, he founded the “Textures & Microstructure Laboratory”, which was recognized as a leading world center of microstructural research. Dr. Szpunar’s record of research contributions demonstrates his ability and readiness to undertake novel challenges in materials-related research.