• Corrosion Science and Technology
• /
• v.7 no.5
• /
• pp.288-295
• /
• 2008

The increase use of natural gas as an energy source has been continuous demand for ever-increasing strength in gas transmission pipeline materials in order to achieve safe and economic transportation of natural gas. In particular, linepipe material for sour gas service primarily needs to have crack resistant property. However, applications of sour linepipes are expanding toward deep water or cold region, which require higher toughness and/or heavier wall thickness as well as higher strength. To improve the crack resistance of linepipe steel in sour environment, low alloy steel are produced by controlled rolling subsequently followed by the accelerated cooling process. This paper summarizes the design concepts for controlling crack resistant property low alloy linepipe steels for sour gas service.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.117-122
• /
• 2006

Hydrogen permeation measurements have been carried out on API X65 grade linepipe steel. In order to study the effect of steel microstructure on hydrogen diffusion behavior in linepipe steel, the accelerated cooling condition was applied and then three different kinds of microstructures were obtained. Hydrogen permeation measurement has been performed in reference to modified ISO17081 (2004) and ZIS Z3113 method. Hydrogen trapping parameters in these steels were evaluated in terms of the effective diffusivity ($D_{eff}$), permeability ($J_{ss}L$) and the amount of diffusible hydrogen. In this study, microstructures which affect both hydrogen trapping and diffusion were degenerated pearlite (DP), acicular ferrite (AF), bainite and martensite/austenite constituents (MA). The low $D_{eff}$ and $J_{ss}L$ mean that more hydrogen can be trapped reversibly or irreversibly and the corresponding steel microstructure is dominant hydrogen trapping site. The large amount of diffusible hydrogen means that corresponding steel microstructure is predominantly reversible. The results of this study suggest that the hydrogen trapping efficiency increases in the order of DP, bainite and AF, while AF is the most efficient reversible trap.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
• /
• 2004.04a
• /
• pp.216-221
• /
• 2004

Linepipe steels with a low carbon acicular ferrite microstructure have been recently developed to accommodate the current transportation condition of the gas and oil industry, and they are finally applied to West- East pipeline project in China. By adopting acicular microstructure, both better formability and better toughness could be obtained due to low yield ratio and fine grained microstructure. Mechanical properties of pipe are not greatly different from those of base plates or hot coils with a microstructure of acicular ferrite. Merits of introducing higher strength steels are well known, i.e., reducing the gauge of pipe and the material cost, increasing the welding speed and decreasing construction cost because of reducing the construction period. Threfore, gas and oil industry has required higher strength steel than APIX70 grade steel. Under this background, API-X80 steel has been developed and shall be applied to the several projects. In this paper, developing stage of API-X80 steel is also presented and discussed.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.27 no.10
• /
• pp.524-529
• /
• 2017

The effect of strain aging on the tensile properties of API X70 linepipe steel was investigated in this study. The API X70 linepipe steel was fabricated by controlled rolling and accelerated cooling processes, and the microstructure was analyzed using optical and scanning electron microscopes and electron backscatter diffraction. Strain aging tests consisting of 1 % pre-strain and thermal aging at $200^{\circ}C$ and $250^{\circ}C$ were conducted to simulate U-forming, O-forming, Expansion(UOE) pipe forming and anti-corrosion coating processes. The API X70 linepipe steel was composed of polygonal ferrite, acicular ferrite, granular bainite, and bainitic ferrite whose volume fraction was dependent on the chemical composition and process conditions. As the thermal aging temperature increased, the steel specimens showed more clearly discontinuous type yielding behavior in the tensile stress-strain curve due to the formation of a Cottrell atmosphere. After pre-strain and thermal aging, the yield and tensile strengths increased and the yield-to-tensile strength ratio decreased because yielding and aging behaviors significantly affected work hardening. On the other hand, uniform and total elongations decreased after pre-strain and thermal aging since dislocation gliding was restricted by increased dislocation density after a 1 % pre-strain.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
• /
• 1992.10a
• /
• pp.150-153
• /
• 1992

• Journal of Welding and Joining
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.21-25
• /
• 2014

Oil and gas fields were left unexploited which deemed too deep and sour. New developing markets are emerging in this part and pipe manufacturers need demanding requirements in the combination of sour service requirements with heavier wall thickness required to cope with increasing water depths. Whilst, the strength and fracture toughness needed to meet the strict requirements In order to deliver the optimum sour properties in the final pipe, attention needs to be paid to each stage throughout the process from steel making. The main key during steel making is strengthening, securing mechanical properties and suppression of center segregation by adding proper chemical elements and controlling water cooling and plate rolling. Additionally in welding, it is required to prevent HAZ softening by high heat input during welding of heavy thick pipes and hydrogen assisted cracking in high strength steels with hard phases. In this paper, we introduce markets of sour resistant linepipe steels and in response to this, have a look in the development trend of sour resistant linepipe steels and its sour characteristics in welded joints.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
• /
• v.6 no.3
• /
• pp.96-102
• /
• 2007

The resistance of the linepipe steel to hydrogen-induced cracking (HIC) and sulfide stress cracking (SSC) is very important for steel to be used in sour oil/gas environments. Welding of steels is necessary to the construction of pipe-line transporting oil/gas. In this study, HIC and SSC resistance of an electric resistance welded (ERW) steel plate which belongs to API X70 grade was evaluated by using NACE TM0284-96A and NACE TM0177-96A methods. HIC and SSC fracturing behavior was investigated by observing fractured surfaces using optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was discussed in terms of metallurgical parameters such as the distribution of primary microstructure, second phases and inclusions. Results showed that the weld joint of ERW steel is more sensitive than base metal to HIC and SSC. This is due to difference in the contribution of metallurgical parameters to HIC and SSC nucleation and propagation.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.49 no.10
• /
• pp.766-773
• /
• 2011

In this study, three kinds of linepipe steels were processed by changing the amount of Mo and Nb to investigate the effects on microstructures, tensile and Charpy impact properties. All the specimens consisted of acicular ferrite, granular bainite and secondary phases such as martensite and austenite constituents (MA). The increase in Mo raised the volume fractions of the granular bainite and MA, and raised the number of fine precipitates, which increased the yield and tensile strengths and decreased the upper self energy and energy transition temperatures. In the steel having less Mo and more Nb, the volume fractions of the granular bainite and MA decreased, and a finer microstructure was observed. This microstructure suppressed the formation of separation during Charpy impact testing and led to a higher upper shelf energy and lower energy transition temperature, while the yield and tensile strengths were lower than those of the steels with more Mo and less Nb.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.251-256
• /
• 2023

This study aims to examine the correlation between microstructures and the mechanical properties of two high-strength API X70 linepipe steels with different specimen directions and Moaddition. The microstructure of the Mo-added steel has an irregularly shaped AF, GB matrix with pearlite because of the relatively large deformation in the non-recrystallization temperature region, while that of the Mo-free steel shows a PF matrix with bainitic microstructure. In the Mo-added steel, the M/A (martensite-austenite) in granular bainite (GB) and pearlite act as crack initiation sites with decreased upper shelf energy and an increased ductile to brittle transition temperature (DBTT). Regardless of Mo addition, all of the steels demonstrate higher strength and lower elongation in the T direction than in the L direction because of the short dislocation glide path and ease of pile-up at grain boundaries. In addition, the impact test specimens with T-L direction had a lower impact absorbed energy and higher DBTT than those with the L-T direction because the former exhibit shorter unit crack path compared to the latter.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.46 no.4
• /
• pp.199-208
• /
• 2008

This study is concerned with effects of complex oxides on Charpy impact toughness of heat affected zone (HAZ) of API X80 linepipe steels. Three kinds of steels were fabricated by varying alloying elements such as Ti, Al, and Mg and hot-rolling conditions to form complex oxides, and their microstructures and Charpy impact properties were investigated. The number of complex oxides present in the steel containing excess Ti, Al, and Mg was twice larger than that in the conventional steels, while their size ranged from 1 to $3{\mu}m$ in the three steels. After the HAZ simulation test, the steel containing a number of oxides contained about 20 vol.% of acicular ferrite in the simulated HAZ, together with bainitic ferrite and martensite, whereas the HAZ microstructure of the conventional steels consisted of bainitic ferrite and martensite with a small amount of acicular ferrite. This formation of acicular ferrite in the oxide-containing steel was associated with the nucleation of acicular ferrite at complex oxides, thereby leading to the great (five times or more) improvement of Charpy impact toughness over the conventional steels.