In this study, the electrochemical behaviour of X65 pipeline steel was investigated in three dilute
HCO3- solutions, i.e., 10 mM, 20 mM, and 50 mM, purged with 5% CO2/N2 or 100% CO2 to achieve the
typical pH of the trapped water under a disbonded shielding coating, i.e., pH 5.5 to 7.5. The
measurements of corrosion potential (Ecorr) showed that the free corrosion process of X65 carbon steel
in dilute HCO3- solutions involves Fe – 2e- - Fe2+ as the anodic reaction coupled with H+ + e- - ½H2 as
the cathodic reaction. The investigation of the anodic polarization behaviour of X65 carbon steel in
dilution HCO3- solutions purged with N2 + 5% CO2 confirmed that the anodic reaction, Fe – 2e- - Fe2+, was under mixed diffusion-electrochemical control. The anodic Tafel slope displayed a value of ~60 mV/decade in the 10mM HCO3- solution. As the HCO3- concentration was increased from 10 mM to 50 mM, the anodic Tafel slope constantly increased from ~ 60 to ~ 90 mV/decade. Cathodic polarization curves displayed a current-peak region at the low cathodic polarization range, -0.95 V to -0.75 V, and a typical Tafel region at potentials beyond -0.95 V. The current-peak within the low cathodic polarization
range could be due to the catalyzing effect of the partially oxidized surface on the hydrogen evolution
reaction (HER), and this catalyzing effect was enhanced by increasing HCO3- concentration or/and pH.
A high cathodic Tafel slope, i.e, ~ 200 mV/decade, was observed for the HER at E < -0.95 V.
Keywords: Open circuit potential (Ecorr), rotation rate, mass-transport, anodic polarization, cathodic polarization,
external corrosion, near-neutral pH SCC, disbondment, trapped water, shielding coating