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Case study

Corrosive wear failure analysis in a natural gas pipeline

M.A.L. Hernandez-Rodrguez , D. Martnez-Delgado, R. Gonzalez,
A. Perez Unzueta, R.D. Mercado-Sols, J. Rodrguez
Facultad de Ingenierya Mecanica y Electrica, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Av. Universidad S/N,
San Nicolas de los Garza, Nuevo Leon 66450, Mexico
Received 2 September 2006; received in revised form 9 January 2007; accepted 11 January 2007

Abstract
Corrosive wear failure in gas pipelines can potentially cause substantial human and economic losses. This work presents the failure analysis of
an API 5L X52 steel grade section of a pipeline used in an underground transportation, which is located next to a natural gas extraction plant. A
T-shape section of this line, failed by perforation under unknown circumstances. Chemical and mechanical characterization of the steel pipe section
was performed. Optical microscopy, electron microscopy and energy disperse spectroscopy were performed near the failure origin site in order
to identify the composition of the corrosion products. Based on the microscopic and visual analyses, a corrosive wear sequence was identified as
follows: the scales adhered to the inner wall of the pipe were easily loosened and detached in certain sites due to the turbulent gas stream. This
resulted in the exposure of the fresh steel surface to the highly corrosive environment that prevails inside the pipeline. The unprotected areas acted
as preferential sites for pitting corrosion of the steel until the final failure of the pipe was produced.
2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.
Keywords: Corrosive wear; Gas pipelines; Failure analysis; Erosioncorrosion

1. Introduction
The ever increasing demand for energy has prompted companies to look for non-renewable resources in remote places.
This necessity has stimulated the development of an adequate
infrastructure to carry natural gas from extraction fields to storage sites and from these to treatment plants and distribution
facilities and, ultimately, to urban and industrial consumption
areas. This distribution is achieved using a complex pipeline
network which requires the highest level of reliability in order
to ensure a safe delivery of the product to the end users. Natural gas pipeline sections located near to the extraction wells
are more susceptible to fail. This fact is due to the high concentration of corrosive agents carried in the gas stream, such as
CO2 , H2 S, calcium and chlorine compounds which promote the
deterioration of the steel pipe, mainly due to erosioncorrosion
Corresponding autor at: Facultad de Ingenier
ya Mecanica y Electrica, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Av. Universidad S/N, San Nicolas de los
Garza, Nuevo Leon 66450, Mexico.
Tel.: +52 81 14920375; fax: +52 81 10523321.
E-mail address: mhernandez@gama.fime.uanl.mx (M.A.L. HernandezRodrguez).

[13]. In addition to the contaminants, the presence of salt water

usually encountered inside the pipeline aggravates the corrosion process. Process variables, such as flow rate, pressure and
pipeline design interact to create a synergistic effect of corrosion and erosive wear of the pipe. Corrosion products are first
deposited on the internal gas pipeline surface in the form of
scales. These products, which are mainly CaCO3 and FeCO3 ,
initially, act as a protective barrier to prevent the corrosion of
the steel surface [4,5]. Once the scales have grown to a certain
thickness, they become highly brittle and are easily removed
by the mechanical forces of the gas stream in localized zones.
Thus, the newly exposed areas become highly susceptible to
a galvanic corrosion process aggravated by the attraction of
chlorine ions into these areas [6]. This develops localized pits
due to pitting corrosion until the final failure of the pipe is
produced. In this work, a failure analysis of an API 5L X52
steel grade pipeline T-shape section is presented. This pipeline
section, which failed under unknown circumstances, was part
of a transportation pipeline network located near to a natural
gas extraction plant in northern Mexico. Optical microscopy,
electron microscopy and energy disperse spectroscopy were performed to characterize the failure and to identify the composition
of the corrosion products. Based on the microscopic analyses

0043-1648/$ see front matter 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.

doi:10.1016/j.wear.2007.01.123

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and observations, a corrosive wear sequence is proposed in

this paper.
2. Analytical techniques
The pipe section corresponding to the failure was characterized by chemical composition to ensure that the
pipeline corresponded to the above-mentioned API grade. The
microstructure was revealed by immersion etching in Nital 2%.
The affected zone was dry cut and visual analysis was performed to describe the different areas of the failure. The residues
adhered to the internal pipeline surface were carefully removed
with a scalpel in order to analyze them by energy dispersive
spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD).
2.1. Visual inspection
Fig. 1a shows a schematic representation and an actual picture of the segment of the gas pipeline analyzed in this work.
This segment includes a T-shape section to help decrease the
turbulence of the gas stream caused by the 90 flow diversion.
A steel cap is welded to one end of the T-shape vertical section
of the pipe (Fig. 1a). The failure was observed in the steel cap

as a perforation through the wall thickness of the pipe (Fig. 1b)

which was the cause of the gas leak. In addition, the visual
inspection of the steel cap revealed the presence of several pits
of various levels of advancement in the inner wall surface. The
areas where pits were found did not exhibit the scales that were
observed in other parts of the T-shape section. This may be due
to the detachment of scales by mechanical forces generated by
a high turbulent stream.
Fig. 2a shows a picture of the inner side of the vertical part of
the T-shape section. In these walls, adhered scales were observed
with globular morphology along with minimal attacks by pitting
corrosion. The inner side of horizontal part of the T-shape section is shown in Fig. 2b. In the interior part of the horizontal pipe
at the position typically called 6:00 h, traces of condensates originated by the precipitation of humidity and contaminants of the
gas stream were observed. In addition, a severe damage due to
several pits located in the same part was noticed.
2.2. Gas pipeline material analysis
Table 1 shows the chemical composition results of the
pipeline section, identified as M1. Carbon and sulphur analysis were performed by combustion and infrared detection

Fig. 1. (a) Pipe line section with a T-shape geometry, (b) metallic cap 76.2 mm diameter and (c) pitted zone.

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Fig. 3. Microstructure performed near to the failure zone, showing pearlite bands
phase in the ferrite matrix, 100.

Fig. 2. (a) Photograph of the internal wall of vertical part of the T-shape section
showing the presence of scales adhered. (b) Photograph of the internal section
of the horizontal part of the T-shape section showing the extent of damage (pits)
due to erosioncorrosion.

respectively according to ASTM E1019. In addition, X-ray

fluorescence (XRF) was performed to evaluate the remaining
elements according to ASTM E1085. Hardness measurements
were taken on the surface of the pipe resulting on an average of
84 HRB.

Fig. 4. Metallographic micrograph before etching of a cross-section near to the

perforation of the cap, 100.

2.4. Electron microscopy and XRD

2.3. Optical microscopy
Fig. 3 shows a metallographic micrograph of the metal base
near to the metallic cap that illustrates a typical ferritic and
pearlitic microstructure of an API 5L X52 steel grade. Fig. 4
shows an as-polished metallographic micrograph of a crosssection near to the perforation of the cap. In Fig. 4, the interface
between the metal matrix and corrosion products where a pit
around 0.3 mm of diameter is observed. The corrosion products were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and
X-ray diffractometer (XRD).

Corrosion products were collected from the internal gas

pipeline walls and from pitting zones in close proximity to the
failure area to be analyzed by SEM and XRD. The products were
sorted according to their location: inner pipe walls and metallic cap residues. Fig. 5a shows the typical corrosion products
found adhered to the inner pipe walls, while the energy dispersive spectrometer analysis (EDS) shows the elements content.
When the pitting areas were analyzed by SEMEDS chlorine
was detected, as is shown in Fig. 5b. Those products adhered to
the gas pipe walls were mainly FeCO3 , according XRD analysis
as shown in Fig. 6.

Table 1
Chemical composition (wt.%) gas pipeline steel
Sample

Mn

Si

Cr

Ni

Mo

Cu

Nb

Ti

Fe

M1

0.18

<0.01

0.94

0.009

0.23

0.07

0.12

0.03

0.206

0.003

<0.001

0.019

<0.006

Balance

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Fig. 5. Analysis of the residues encountered in the internal wall of the pipe: (a) CaCO3 residues; (b) chlorine residues inside a pit.

3. Failure discussion

Fig. 6. X-ray analysis of the sample showing the presence of FeCO3 and chlorine
residues.

Carbonic acid (H2 CO3 ) is usually found in the gas stream as

a result of the combination of CO2 and natural gas. In addition,
the presence of the calcium and iron ions promote the formation
of CaCO3 and FeCO3 (siderite) [7]. The chemical composition
of the condensed water found inside of the pipe line (pH 7.5,
TDS 4520 mg/l, Ca 866 mg/l, alkalinity 296 mg/l as CaCO3 ),
shows a Langalier saturation index [8] of 1 which, along with the
presence of Ca observed in the EDX analysis (Fig. 5a), confirms
the trend to form the precipitates of CaCO3 shown as scales in
the visual inspection (Fig. 2a). On the other hand, the scales
that exhibited sulphur content (Fig. 5a) can be related with the
presence of H2 S, which promotes the formation of iron sulphide
(Fex Sx ).
In the visual inspection, the fragility of these scales was evidenced. Scales adherence depends on the temperature, CO2 and
H2 S gas concentration, pH, flow rate and pipeline design [9,10].
These scales layers have an uneven and random growth until

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the gas turbulence detach them by erosioncorrosion mechanism [1] resulting a susceptible area with a large cathode and
anode relationship which in turn, originate the most favorable
stage for pitting corrosion attack. This erosioncorrosion cycle
was repeated in all T-shape section being the metallic cap where
the high turbulence accelerated the localized corrosion [7]. This
phenomenon formed several pits until one of them perforated
the pipeline causing the failure.
In the horizontal part of the T-shape section traces of scales
in the inferior part (6:00 h position) inside of the pipe were evidenced. These traces are due to the detachment of scales resulting
on a severe localized attack by pitting corrosion (Fig. 2b),
specifically located on the traces of the condensed water and
contaminants contended in the natural gas stream.
4. Conclusions
A corrosive wear mechanism was found to be the main cause
of failure of the T-shape section of gas extraction pipeline system under analysis. A corrosive wear sequence was identified
as follows: a constant formation of scales (CaCO3 , FeCO3 and
Hx Sx ) on the interior walls were originated by the reaction of
contaminants, such as CO2 , H2 S and calcium compounds contended in the humidity of the gas stream. These adhered fragile
scales were easily loosened and detached in certain sites due to
the turbulent gas stream resulting in the exposure of the fresh
steel surface to the highly corrosive environment that prevails
inside the pipeline. The unprotected areas along with a high
turbulent system promoted by diversion flow in the metallic
cap, established the preferential conditions for localized corro-

sion until one of the pits perforated the pipe producing the final
failure.
Acknowledgement
The authors acknowledge the tests performed by Universidad
de Guadalajara, during this work.
References
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Please cite this article in press as: M.A.L. Hernandez-Rodrguez et al., Corrosive wear failure analysis in a natural gas pipeline, Wear (2007),
doi:10.1016/j.wear.2007.01.123