Effects of dissolved hydrogen and elastic and plastic deformation on active dissolution of pipeline steel in anaerobic groundwater of near-neutral pH

The mechano-electrochemical effects of deformation and hydrogen on active dissolution of pipeline steel in near-neutral pH groundwater are described. Thermodynamic analysis shows that the free energy increment due to elastic deformation is insufficient to alter active dissolution rate remarkably. The synergistic effect of stress field and dissolved hydrogen on active dissolution (corrosion) is negligible. The effect of plastic deformation on corrosion relies heavily on the heterogeneity of dislocation structures formed in the deformation. The plastic deformation cannot significantly change the corrosion rate at the open circuit potential. There is good agreement between these theoretical predictions and experimental observations, indicating that the stress corrosion cracking of pipeline steel in the anaerobic groundwater of near-neutral pH is unlikely to be related to the hydrogen-facilitated anodic dissolution mechanism.