The participation of sales, technical and marketing personnel in the development and implementation of an internet-based communications strategy that represents the company’s expertise in the format of education and information-sharing via various web-based tools will yield brand awareness, brand credibility and brand loyalty, while potentially shortening sales cycles. 

The influence of anodic current on the corrosion protection conditions of buried steel pipelines at a potential less noble than -0.85 V was evaluated in test cells simulating the pipelines under long-term cathodic protection. Results are discussed.

The generation of active disinfectants by electrochemical processes (ECA)gains market share due to the lack of need for transportation and storage of dangerous goods as well as the ease of operation. Usually the process involves the use of specific electrodes for electrolysis of water to produce active chlorine species sometimes supported by addition of chlorides to the process water. Thus the influence on the corrosion behavior can vary widely.The work comprises investigation of the passive and repassivation behavior of stainless steels typical for the beverage industry in contact with industrially available disinfectant fluids. Measurements were conducted in electrochemical cells according to ASTM G 150 and with artificial crevices. Results from exposure experiments are shown as well. Specimens made from new sheets as well as from sheets exposed to laboratory cleaning cycles with the disinfectant fluids were investigated. Additionally welded specimens were evaluated to reflect the representative behavior of real installations. The combination of the influence of oxidant and chloride concentration were examined in detail.

Macro and microbiological growth can have significant impacts on safe and efficient operations in oil & gas applications especially in water injection and underground storage systems. Operators must provide protection against both chemical and microbial corrosion to protect assets from degradation and failure. High density polyethylene (HDPE) coatings have been shown to provide long-term corrosion protection for salt brackish and brine piping. However HDPE is susceptible to biodegradation. This study explores the development and testing of a novel HDPE coating containing a unique blend of antimicrobial powder additive engineered to protect against common bacteria and fungi in brine water. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the biological and material performance of the coatings. Results from microbiological testing showed that coatings enhanced with the material additive resisted and deactivated over 70% of bacteria present in the brine water and over 90% of the harmful fungi which causes fouling in pipelines. Testing results indicated that the additive has no significant impact on the mechanical properties or corrosion resistance of the HDPE lining. These results are significant because the additive protects against harmful microbes while maintaining properties of the HDPE system. This technology provides transformative change in prevention methods for on-shore brine pipeline applications.

Primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) of Ni-base Alloy 600 (Ni-16Cr-8Fe in wt%) has been a major concern in the primary sides of pressurized water reactors (PWRs). In response to the cracking problems in Alloy 600 another solid-solution strengthened Ni-base Alloy 690 (Ni–30Cr–10Fe in wt%) has become the common replacement material for use in PWR service. Alloy 600 and Alloy 690 have an identical crystal structure and similar mechanical properties; however there are noticeable differences in the corrosion resistance and cracking behavior between them owing to their different Cr contents. It is necessary therefore to reveal the root causes of the different cracking behaviors of Alloy 600 and Alloy 690 in PWR primary water to ensure safe service and good performance.PWSCC testing of Alloy 600 and Alloy 690 was conducted using 1/2T compact tension (CT) specimens at 325 ℃. The simulated PWR water was prepared prior to the test in a storage tank. The test conditions were 1200 ppm B (weight) as H3BO3 and 2 ppm Li (weight) as LiOH in pure water a dissolved oxygen content below 5 ppb a hydrogen content of 30 cc/kg H2O and an internal pressure of 15.9 MPa. The crack growth rates (CGRs) were measured depending on the stress intensity factor at a crack tip. Before the CGR test the CT specimens were pre-cracked by fatigue at lengths of 2 mm in air. A surface oxidation test using plate specimens was conducted in the same test conditions as those of the CGR test for a period of 3600 hours. After the tests cracking properties and surface oxidation layers were precisely characterized using SEM high-resolution TEM STEM/EDS and STEM/EELS.The average CGR of Alloy 600 was measured as 7.6 x 10-9 mm/s when the stress intensity factor at a crack tip was maintained at 30 MPa·m1/2 whereas Alloy 690 did not crack under the present conditions. This means that the resistance to PWSCC of Alloy 690 is much higher than that of Alloy 600. From a microscopic examination on crack propagation it was found that the predominant failure mode of Alloy 600 was intergranular (IG) SCC which indicates that the grain boundaries are preferential paths for cracking. On the other hand PWSCC of Alloy 690 was reported to show a mixed mode consisting of IG and transgranular (TG) cracking which indicates that the grain boundaries are not always active for cracking in the case of Alloy 690. It was revealed from a microscopic investigation on the surface that oxygen diffused into the grain boundaries of Alloy 600 from the external primary water resulting in IG oxidation. As a result of IG oxidation Cr oxides formed in the oxidized grain boundaries leaving Ni depletion. The most important finding in Alloy 690 was that the internal oxidation into the bulk grains was promoted resulting in the formation of relatively thick internal oxidation layer whereas the IG oxidation was significantly suppressed owing to the continuous innermost Cr2O3 layer which formed around a grain boundary. The innermost Cr2O3 layer was formed through inward diffusion of oxygen from the surface and grain boundary diffusion of Cr resulting in Cr depletion along the grain boundary. From the present results it is believed that the different IG oxidation behaviors of Alloy 600 and Alloy 690 appear to lead to the different cracking resistance capabilities and cracking behaviors in these alloys.

To evaluate through fracture toughness tests the susceptibility of SDSS to HISC and to determine the effect of the cathodic protection potential and the stress intensity factor rate (K-rate).

Due to its attractive combination of strength corrosion resistance and cost 25% Cr Duplex Stainless Steel Pipe is used extensively in subsea production systems. Pipes are made by different production methods. The various production methods affect the microstructure and the mechanical properties of the final product. Components used subsea are externally exposed to cathodic protection. Experiences have shown that 25Cr duplex stainless steel is vulnerable to hydrogen induced stress cracking (HISC). The assumption is that the resulting microstructure affects the resistance. This is reflected in the DNVGL-RP-F112 design guideline which uses austenite spacing to determine a design factor. In this paper the HISC susceptibility of 25Cr duplex stainless-steel pipes produced through hot extrusion with- and without subsequent cold drawing forging and centrifugal casting have been examined. Two different test methods have been used; i) Stepwise (slow) load increase and ii) Slow Strain Rate Testing. Samples pre-charged with hydrogen and samples without hydrogen were included in the test program. Pre-charged samples were also polarised cathodically during testing under stress.The microstructure was characterised including measurements of austenite spacing. After testing the samples were examined in optical microscope for secondary cracks. In addition the fracture surfaces were examined in scanning electron microscope for characterisation of fracture morphology. Reduction in area were calculated for all samples. Finally hydrogen content in selected samples were measured with a melt extraction technique.The tests revealed that 25Cr duplex stainless steel from the different production methods included in the test showed various degree of HISC and that the effect was dependant on the production method and resulting microstructure. Hot extruded material with no cold deformation showed the highest HISC resistance while centrifugal cast material seemed to be more exposed to HISC than the other methods. The fracture surfaces of all hydrogen charged test materials showed features indicating a reduction in ductility due to HISC as well as both ductile and brittle fracture characteristics across the surfaces. The fracture surfaces for the reference specimens showed ductile fracture characteristics. The hydrogen content in the charged samples were in the range 50-80 wppm.The ranking of production methods was as follows: hot extruded pipes > hot extruded pipes with subsequent cold drawing > forged pipes >centrifugal cast pipes.The two test methods – stepwise load increase and SSRT – gave consistent test results.

Benchtop activity tests serve an essential role in the evaluation of new treatment components and programs in cooling water applications. Limited research has been previously conducted into the underlying processes which determine whether new materials pass or fail these initial activity tests. Markedly similar performance behavior for threshold inhibitors and dispersants has been observed in benchtop tests utilizing a variety of scaling ions. The predominant mechanism involves extensive formation of microparticles and subsequent primary/secondary agglomeration processes. Scanning electron microscopy, particle size distribution and micro­ electrophoresis techniques have characterized the particulates formed in benchtop activity tests and provided additional support for the proposed mechanism.

Zinc-Rich Primer (ZRP) based coating systems are widely used to protect steel infrastructure from aggressive exposure environments. These coating systems provide corrosion protection of the steel substrate by both barrier and sacrificial mechanism. Electrical continuity between the zinc pigments and steel substrate is the fundamental parameter in order to achieve galvanic protection and the use of high pigment volume concentration may not necessarily ensure effective electrical continuity. Moreover, high zinc content also degrades the bond of the coating matrix to the steel substrate. Carbon nanoparticles are being considered in the development of ZRP coating systems to overcome these limitations considering its physical, electrical and mechanical properties. In this effort, a nanoparticle enriched zinc-rich primer coating system (NPE-ZRP) was evaluated to identify the influence of nano-particles on moisture intrusion of the coating system. A traditional inorganic zinc-rich coating system
(ZRP) was also evaluated to compare the overall performance of the NPE-ZRP coating system. Pre-exposure to the different levels of humidity (5%, 75% & 100% RH) was incorporated to identify the coating robustness and the influence of nano-particles to mitigate corrosion. Environmental pre-exposure to humidity didn’t appear to have a detrimental effect on the coating durability. Both coatings allow moisture intrusion inside the system and EIS can be used as an effective tool to estimate the moisture content.