Passivation process of X80 pipeline steel in bicarbonate solutions

Abstract

The passivation process of X80 pipeline steel in bicarbonate solutions was investigated using potentiodynamic, dynamic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (DEIS), and Mott-Schottky measurements. The results show that the shape of polarization curves changes with HCO₃ ⁻ concentration. The critical ‘passive’ concentration is 0.009 mol/L HCO₃ ⁻ for X80 pipeline steel in bicarbonate solutions. No anodic current peak exists in HCO^3/− solutions when the concentration is lower than 0.009 mol/L, whereas there are one and two anodic current peaks when the HCO^3/− concentration ranges from 0.009 to 0.05 mol/L and is higher than 0.1 mol/L, respectively. DEIS measurements show that there exist active dissolution range, transition range, pre-passive range, passive layer formation range, passive range, and trans-passive range for X80 pipeline steel in the 0.1 mol/L HCO₃ ⁻ solutions. The results of DEIS measurements are in complete agreement with the potentiodynamic diagram. An equivalent circuit containing three sub-layers is used to explain the Nyquist plots in the passive range. Analyses are well made for explaining the corresponding fitted capacitance and impedance. The Mott-Schottky plots show that the passive film of X80 pipeline steel is an n-type semiconductor, and capacitance measurements are in good accordance with the results of DEIS experiment.

Keywords

pipeline steel / bicarbonate solutions / passivation / potentiodynamic polarization k[electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

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