Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries 29 (2014) 163e169

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Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jlp

Experimental studies of crevice corrosion for buried pipeline

with disbonded coatings under cathodic protection
Wenhe Wang a, b, c, Qingsheng Wang b, c, *, Changyou Wang a, Jun Yi a
a

College of Safety Engineering, Chongqing University of Science & Technology, Chongqing 401331, China
Boots & Coots Center for Fire Safety and Pressure Control, Department of Fire Protection & Safety, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
c
School of Chemical Engineering, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
b

a r t i c l e i n f o

a b s t r a c t

Article history:
Received 28 December 2013
Received in revised form
29 January 2014
Accepted 16 February 2014

Numerous re and explosion accidents have occurred because of pipeline ruptures through the corrosion
area. Coatings under cathodic protection (CP) have been recognized to prevent/mitigate potential
pipeline corrosion. In this work, a wedge-shaped crevice assembly was developed to study the effect of
cathodic protection on corrosion of 20# steel pipeline with disbanded coatings. Polarization potential,
current density, solution pH value, and dissolved oxygen concentration were measured by using the
simulation of crevice area with disbonded coatings. Results have demonstrated that CP cannot reach the
crevice bottom which reduces the effectiveness of corrosion protection. This effectiveness depends on
the crevice geometry and could be improved with the increase of crevice length and decrease of its
mouth size. A potential difference always exists between the mouth area and inside crevice. The oxygen
concentrations drop signicantly inside crevice whether CP is applied or not. The solution pH values
inside crevice increase with the time. The solution pH values are higher when the applied CP potentials
are more negative. According to the experiments, the effectiveness of cathodic protection could also be
improved through enhancement of the local solution alkalinity. The research provides necessary information to prevent potential pipeline ruptures due to crevice corrosion and therefore mitigate potential
losses for oil and gas transportation in the process industries.
2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords:
Pipeline
Crevice corrosion
Cathodic protection
Coatings

1. Introduction
Buried pipeline transportation is considered as the most efcient way of transporting oil, gas and chemicals. It has a lower cost
and is relatively reliable, but corrosion is a signicant problem for
its safe operation. Disbondment is one of the most failure modes of
pipeline coatings. In spite of coatings condition, corrosive medium,
such as gas, water, and chemical species in the coating gaps, forms
electrochemical corrosion environment, which causes crevice
corrosion or stress corrosion cracking to the pipeline (Muhlbaucer,
2004; Roberge, 2012). Generally, the synergistic system of coatings
and cathodic protection (CP) has been recognized as the most
effective method to protect pipelines from external corrosion in soil
(Chen, Li, Du, & Cheng, 2009; Song, 2012a, 2012b). Pipeline corrosion occurs when the coating is disbonded away from a defect or

* Corresponding author. Boots & Coots Center for Fire Safety and Pressure
Control, Department of Fire Protection & Safety, Oklahoma State University,
Stillwater, OK 74078, USA. Tel.: 1 405 744 5508; fax: 1 405 744 6758.
E-mail addresses: wenhe.wang@okstate.edu (W. Wang), qingsheng.wang@
okstate.edu (Q. Wang).
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jlp.2014.02.007
0950-4230/ 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

holiday. CP effect is reduced due to coating holidays and disbonded

defects which appear to be a complete coating but produce electric
shielding effect of cathode protection. The crevice corrosion of
pipeline is also found to be related to the CP potential (Kennell &
Evitts, 2009; Parker & Peattie, 1999). Theoretical model investigation into the effect on time, applied potentials, holiday size, geometric dimension and pH value of solution for crevice corrosion is
very complicated (Sharland, 1987; Sharland & Tasker, 1988; Song &
Sridhar, 2008). Therefore, it is necessary to carry out experimental
research under simulated conditions to further understand the
crevice corrosion behavior of pipeline steel under disbonded
coatings in the presence of applied CPs.
Considerable research has been conducted to study external
corrosion of underground pipelines under disbonded coatings with
a defect. Tremendous attentions have been on the effects of CP on
local electrochemical environment and corrosion of steel under
disbonded coatings (Betts & Boulton, 1993; Sharland, 1987). For
example, it was found that the pH and potential gradients were
inuenced by exposure time, applied potential, solution conductivity, and crevice geometry (Sridhar, Dunn, & Seth, 2001). The
research indicated that under CP conditions the evident potential

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W. Wang et al. / Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries 29 (2014) 163e169

gradient resulting from the potential drop was concentrated at the

crevice opening (Yan, Wang, Han, & Ke, 2007). A protective local
environment induced by CP under disbonded coatings was characterized by an increase in pH and removal of Cl. After CP is
removed, the protective effects can persist for a period of time,
depending on the diffusion of soluble species (Yan et al., 2007). Peng
et al. have investigated the effectiveness of cathodic protection at
corrosion defects on an X100 steel pipeline using both experimental
and theoretical methods (Peng, Xu, & Cheng, 2014). Corrosion of
steel was claimed to occur preferentially inside crevice due to a
separation of anodic and cathodic reaction with the depletion of
dissolved oxygen in the crevice solution (Chen, 2009). A potential
difference always exists between the open holiday area and inside
crevice, reducing the CP effectiveness. Potential, pH and oxygen
concentration were measured within a crevice which concluded
that the electrochemical corrosion of pipeline steel is due to the
gradual chemical and electrochemical changes produced along the
crevice (Perdomo & Song, 2000). Song has also modeled the evolution of chemistry and the transient behavior of corrosion in the
disbonded region (Song & Sridhar, 2008; Song, 2012a, 2012b).
In this work, a wedge-shaped crevice assembly simulated as
crevice corrosion was used to further understand the corrosion
behavior of pipeline steel with disbonded coatings under cathodic
protection. The changes of potential and current of steel 20#, pH
value, and oxygen content in the crevice with the simulated disbonded coatings were measured. The effects of CP potential, crevice
thickness and the crevice corrosion behavior of steel 20# in a
simulated soil solution were investigated to elucidate the mechanism of crevice corrosion under cathodic protections. The experimental results could be used to improve the cathodic protection
effectiveness on pipeline steel with disbonded coatings and hence
to mitigate the pipeline corrosion in the process industries.
2. Experimental
2.1. Materials
Test specimen were cut from a 20# steel pipe, with the chemical
composition (wt.%): C 0.24, Si 0.37, Mn 0.65, S 0.035, Cr 0.25, P
0.035, Ni 0.25, Cu 0.25 and Fe 97.92. A three-electrode cell system
was used for simulation of a crevice created by coating disbondment (Chen, 2009; Perdomo & Song, 2000), as shown in Fig. 1. The
cell consisted of a 20# steel working electrode with
50 mm  30 mm  3 mm in dimension. The test solution was
simulated as a soil solution (chemical composition of 0.0232 M
NaCl 0.0065 M Na2SO4 0.0599 M NaHCO3), with a pH value of
8.55. The solution was made of analytical agent and distilled water.
All tests were carried at room temperature (22  C) and open to air.
2.2. Measurement
A saturated calomel electrode (SCE) was used as the reference
electrode, and a graphite electrode as the counter electrode. A wedge
plastic shim (0.30 mm, 0.45 mm and 0.60 mm in thickness) was used
to make the crevice with a Lucite as a coating membrane. The plastic
shim was adjustable to control the crevice width (Perdomo, Chabica,
& Song, 2001; Xu et al., 2011). Three ports were drilled at an interval
of 1 cm from the holiday with an interval of 15 cm along the Lucite
block to position the microelectrodes for measurements of local
potential, current, solution pH and oxygen concentration, respectively. During the test the polarization potentials of steel at individual
ports were measured by microelectrodes when various CP potentials
(775 mV, 925 mV and 1075 mV) were applied (Chen, 2009; Xu,
Sun, Yan, & Wang, 2013). The solution pH was measured ex-situ
through a Thermo Orion 9863BN pH meter. The local oxygen

Fig. 1. Testing device of simulated crevice corrosion with cathodic polarization.

concentration was measured in-situ through a Unisense OX100 dissolved oxygen micro-glass electrode. The oxygen microelectrodes
were sealed tightly with Lucite using a Sealant in order to avoid
diffusion of oxygen through the port openings.
3. Results
3.1. Polarization potential distribution
Fig. 2 shows the polarization potential distribution in the crevice
(mouth size d 45 mm) with 33 h against different cathodic protection potentials (Ek), 775 mV, 925 mV and 1075 mV,
respectively. It is shown that the polarization potentials of each
point (expressed as Ek1, Ek2, Ek3, Ek4, Ek5, Ek6 from the mouth to the
bottom) in the crevice decreased with the increase of time and
approached to CP potentials Ek, but they never reached CP potentials. Moreover, polarization potential of each point in the crevice
increased with the increase of CP in the mouth of crevice, but
decreased with the increase of distance from the mouth to the
bottom of crevice.
3.2. Polarization current density distribution
Fig. 3 shows the polarization current density distribution in
crevice (mouth size d 45 mm) with 33 h against different CPs,
775 mV, 925 mV and 1075 mV, respectively, and the polarization current densities of each point from mouth to bottom in the
crevice were expressed as i1, i2, i3, i4, i5, i6. It shows that i1 is larger in
the beginning, and the changed range is more than i2ei6 toward the
bottom of crevice with the increase of time, the polarization current
density decreases and tends to be stable. Furthermore, the polarization potential increases with the increase of distance from the
mouth of crevice but the polarization current density decreases in

W. Wang et al. / Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries 29 (2014) 163e169

-0.70

(a)
= 0.45mm
Ek=-775mV

E / (VSCE)

-0.72

Ek1

Ek4

Ek2

Ek5

Ek3

Ek6

165

-0.74

-0.76

-0.78

-0.70

10

15
20
Time / (h)

(b)
= 0.45mm
Ek=-925mV

30

35

Ek1

Ek4

Ek2

Ek5

Ek3

Ek6

E / (VSCE)

-0.72

25

-0.74

-0.76

-0.78

-0.70

10

(c)

15
20
Time / (h)

= 0.45mm
Ek=-1075mV

30

Ek1

Ek4

Ek2

Ek5

Ek3

Ek6

E / (VSCE)

-0.75

25

-0.80

-0.85

-0.90

10

15
20
Time / (h)

25

30

35

Fig. 2. Polarization potential distribution in crevice with times against different

cathodic protections: (a) 775 mV; (b) 925 mV; (c) 1075 mV.

the same time. There is a gradient of polarization current between

the mouth and bottom of the crevice. Polarization current of each
point is mainly dispersive at the beginning of the polarization and
the gradient decreases with the time. Moreover, polarization current tends to approach a similar current level and the trend is more
obvious under the CP of 925 mV.

Fig. 3. Polarization current density distribution in crevice with times against different
cathodic protections: (a) 775 mV; (b) 925 mV; (c) 1075 mV.

3.3. pH value distribution

The pH value distribution curves with 33 h in crevice (mouth
size d 45 mm) against different CPs of 775 mV, 925 mV and
1075 mV were presented in Fig. 4. The pH values decrease with
the increase of distance from bottom of the crevice when CP of

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W. Wang et al. / Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries 29 (2014) 163e169

12

-775mV
= 0.45mm
-925mV
Time=30
hours
-1075mV
Fitting curve

10
Oxygen concentration / (mg/L)

11

pH value

10
9
pH=8.55
bulk solution

8
7
6

20

40
60
Crevice length / (mm)

80

(a)

15cm
30cm
45cm

60cm
75cm
90cm

= 0.45mm Ek=-775mVSCE

simulated soil solution

100

Fig. 4. pH value distribution in crevice with crevice length against different cathodic
protections.

10

15
20
Time / (h)

25

30

10

The dissolved oxygen concentration curves with 33 h in crevice

(mouth size d 45 mm) against different CPs of 775 mV,
925 mV and 1075 mV were shown in Fig. 5. The lengths (15 cm,
30 cm, 45 cm, 60 cm, 75 cm and 90 cm) stand for the distance of the
different test point from the mouth to the bottom in the crevice.
Dissolved oxygen concentration decreases rapidly in the beginning
from 8.3 mg/L (concentration of dissolved oxygen in the bulk solution) to 2 mg/L after 2 h. The change of dissolved oxygen concentration is similar at CPs of 725 mV and 925 mV. However, it is
lower at 1075 mV as shown in Fig. 5 (c). The results show that the
applied cathodic potential could not penetrate into the crevice
bottom when CP potential reaches an appropriate CP level (i.e.,
1075 mV).
4. Discussion
4.1. Effect on polarization potential, current and pH distribution
with different CP potentials
Fig. 6 (a) shows polarization potential decreases more rapidly at
various points in the crevice at CP potential of 1075 mV than the
other two potentials at 775 mV and 925 mV. Due to the potential drop of solution, polarization potential in the crevice is
higher than the effective CP potential. Crevice corrosion occurs on
the surface of 20# steel when CP potential of 775 mV is applied,
while almost no corrosion occurs at CP potentials of 925 mV and
1075 mV. In spite of the 20# steel is protected within different
degree when 925 mV and 1075 mV CP potentials was applied,
some researches (Song & Sridhar, 2008) have indicated larger CP

Oxygen concentration / (mg/L)

3.4. Dissolved oxygen concentration distribution

(b)

15cm
30cm
45cm

60cm
75cm
90cm

= 0.45mm Ek=-925mVSCE

simulated soil solution

10

10

(c)
oxygen concentration / (mg/L)

775 mV is applied but increase at CPs of 925 mV and 1075 mV.

Moreover, the increase range at CP of 925 mV is small and the
highest pH value is at CP of 1075 mV. The reason for this phenomenon is that 20# steel in the crevice also corrodes in the
alkaline environments at CP of 775 mV. H is generated due to the
hydrolysis of corrosion product Fe2. Therefore, the pH value decreases with H diffusion into the bulk solution. When CPs of
925 mV and 1075 mV are applied, the pH value increases
slightly because OH is generated due to the occurrence of oxygen
reduction in the crevice.

15
20
Time / (h)

25

15cm
30cm
45cm

30

60cm
75cm
90cm

= 0.45mm Ek=-1075mVSCE

simulated soil solution

10

15
20
Time / (h)

25

30

Fig. 5. Dissolved oxygen concentration distribution in crevice with times against

different cathodic protections: (a) 775 mV; (b) 925 mV; (c) 1075 mV.

W. Wang et al. / Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries 29 (2014) 163e169

167

(a)

(b)

Fig. 6. Effect on polarization potential, current distribution in crevice with different

cathodic protection (a) E-x; (b) i-x.

potential is not better. Generally, if CP potential approached to a

higher CP level, large amounts of hydrogen bubble would be
generated. The effect of hydrogen evolution in the solution is near
the mouth of crevice, and hydrogen can also penetrate into the
metal substrate to reduce performance of steels.
Polarization current density is very low in the crevice when CP
potential of 775 mV is applied, as shown in Fig. 6 (b). Polarization
current density is lower at CP potential of 775 mV, but the potential gradient and current gradient change greatly at 925 mV
and 1075 mV. CP potentials of 925 mV and 1075 mV in the
crevice are more negative than the effective CP potential of
775 mV, causing the polarization current decreases rapidly
(Muhlbaucer, 2004; Parker & Peattie, 1999). The effect on pH distribution and change rule with different CP potentials can be found
in Fig. 4.
4.2. Effect on polarization potential, current and pH distribution
with different crevice mouth sizes
Polarization potentials of each point in the crevice increase
negatively with the increase of crevice mouth size, but they
decrease positively with the increase of crevice length. Moreover
the range of increase negatively decreases with the increase of
crevice mouth size, as shown in Fig. 7 (a). On the contrary,

(c)

Fig. 7. Effect on polarization potential, current and pH distribution in crevice with

different crevice mouth sizes (a) E-x; (b) i-x; (c) pH-x.

polarization current decreases and the reducing range increases

with the increase of crevice length. Furthermore, the polarization
current approached to the similar level eventually in different
crevice mouth size, as seen in Fig. 7 (b). In other words, with the
increase of crevice mouth size, solute in the crevice and bulk solution is exchanged easily, the CP electric eld lines reach to the
crevice easily too. Therefore, the polarization potential decreases
and polarization current density increases which are consistent

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W. Wang et al. / Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries 29 (2014) 163e169

with previous research (Li, Gan, & Mao, 2002). The polarization
potential and polarization current density change gently due to the
decrease of crevice corrosion susceptibility when the mouth of
crevice increases to a certain degree.
The pH values in the crevice decrease gradually at 0.30 mm
crevice thickness when CP potential of 775 mV is applied, but
increase at 0.45 mm and 0.60 mm with a slightly decrease near the
bottom of crevice as shown in Fig. 7 (c). The results show that
corrosion susceptibility was reduced with the increase of crevice
mouth size. The solute in the crevice and corrosive ions in bulk
solution is exchanged more fully resulting in the increase of polarization current. The exchange consumes oxygen and prompts the
concentration of the OH ions which causes higher pH values.
4.3. Crevice corrosion morphology
The macroscopic corrosion morphologies located in the mouth
and bottom of the crevice are observed after 33 h (0.45 mm in
thickness) under different CP potentials of 775 mV, 925 mV and
1075 mV, respectively, as shown in Fig. 8.
The morphology shown in Fig. 8 (a) has indicated that the steel
initiated pitting corrosion in crevice is not protected fully at CP
potential of 775 mV. Especially in the bottom of the crevice there
is still a lot of pitting corrosion holes on the steel surface. Generally,
the steel in crevice can be protected with the increase of CP potential. When CP potential of 925 mV is applied the steel surface

has some slight corrosion spots as shown in Fig. 8 (b). The possible
reason is protective current need some times to approach to the
bottom of crevice. However, the steel surface is not corroded between the mouth and bottom of crevice while at CP potential of
1075 mV as shown in Fig. 8 (c).
5. Conclusions
Through the experimental studies, it is concluded that there is a
potential drop in the crevice due to both solution resistance and
current dissipation effect. As a consequence, CP cannot reach the
crevice bottom which reduces the effectiveness of CP for corrosion
protection. This effect depends on the crevice geometry and would
be enhanced with the increase of crevice length and decrease of its
mouth size. Based on the experiments, higher cathodic polarization
is required to achieve appropriate CP potential at crevice bottom
with the increase of distance from the mouth. The oxygen concentration drops signicantly inside crevice. Local solution pH decreases with the increase of distance from the mouth of the crevice
due to local acidication effect without enough CP potential. The
solution pH inside crevice increases with the time. The solution pH
is higher when the applied potential is more negative.
Based on the experimental results, recommendations to
improve the effectiveness of corrosion protection have been proposed accordingly: (1) Selecting higher cathodic polarization which
is appropriate and permissive within the scope of standards to

Fig. 8. The macroscopic corrosion morphology of 20# steel in crevice with cathodic polarization (a) Ek 775 mV; (b) Ek 925 mV; (c) Ek 1075 mV.

W. Wang et al. / Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries 29 (2014) 163e169

avoid hydrogen evolution stripping or alkali embrittlement phenomenon during the design of pipeline cathodic protection; (2)
Enhancing local solution alkalinity to reduce pipeline steel corrosion susceptibility; (3) Ensuring integrity of pipeline coatings by
choosing coating materials with good resistance and monitoring
pipeline coating performance regularly to avoid its disbondment.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC 51254001 and 51304259), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2012M511418) and the Fund of
Chongqing University of Science & Technology (CK2010B17 and
CK2013Z03). Authors would like to thank the support from Center
of Corrosion and Protection at Beijing University of Science &
Technology (China) and Boots & Coots Center for Fire Safety and
Pressure Control at Oklahoma State University (USA).
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