The corrosion caused by the ore slurry transported plays a fundamental role in the lifetime of a pipeline. Thus, the corrosion of API 5L-X70 carbon steel was investigated using process water and bauxite pulp (5% w./v.) as solution and electrochemical techniques. The results of open circuit potential (OCP), polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) showed that presence of bauxite caused changes when it compared to water process results and the corrosion rate increased in the bauxite presence. The micrographs of specimens surface obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed cracks formation in the oxide in the metal surface and this phenomenon may be responsible for increased corrosion in bauxite presence. The methodology described in this work show to be useful for the investigation of corrosion in pipelines.
Corrosion; bauxite; pipeline; carbon steel
