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The Problem of Corrosion in Pipelines

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Corrosion and Reliability Assessment of Inspected Pipelines

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Abstract

Pipelines condition is space-dependent, defined by the soil properties surrounding the pipeline, the way pipes are installed (e.g., underground, aboveground), and the efficiency of protection measures (e.g., coatings, cathodic protection). Pipelines are subjected to different threats, which can be classified as manufacturing or mechanical failures, operational failures, third-party actions, natural forces, or corrosion attacks. This chapter focuses on the corrosion thinning at the inner or the outer pipelines walls. Corrosion defects may follow different degradation mechanisms depending on the properties of the soil surrounding the pipe, the fluid being transported, and the mechanical condition of the pipe. This chapter describes the pipelines main corrosion mechanisms and their common preventive measures. Corrosion mechanisms include uniform (general) corrosion, pitting, erosion-corrosion, stray current corrosion, Microbiologically-Influenced Corrosion (MIC), and stress corrosion cracking. This chapter also presents the main contributions from the soil properties, operation and fluid factors, and the material properties of the corrosion degradation. The main objective is to identify the principal factors favoring corrosion degradation of underground pipelines.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Cathodes and anodes are defined as the electrode of an electrolytic cell at which reduction (oxidation) is the principal reaction.

  2. 2.

    \(1\,\upmu \mathrm {m}=10^{-6}\,\mathrm {m}.\)

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá D.C., Colombia

    Rafael Amaya-Gómez & Mauricio Sánchez-Silva

  2. Laboratory of Engineering Sciences for the Environment, La Rochelle University, La Rochelle, France

    Emilio Bastidas-Arteaga

  3. Institute for Research in Civil and Mechanical Engineering (GeM), University of Nantes, Nantes, France

    Franck Schoefs

  4. Empresa Colombiana de Petróleos (ECOPETROL), Bogotá D.C., Colombia

    Felipe Muñoz

Authors
  1. Rafael Amaya-Gómez
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  2. Emilio Bastidas-Arteaga
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  3. Mauricio Sánchez-Silva
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  4. Franck Schoefs
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  5. Felipe Muñoz
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Amaya-Gómez, R., Bastidas-Arteaga, E., Sánchez-Silva, M., Schoefs, F., Muñoz, F. (2024). The Problem of Corrosion in Pipelines. In: Corrosion and Reliability Assessment of Inspected Pipelines . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43532-4_3

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