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IPC2012-90610
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF X70 LARGE DIAMETER UOE LINEPIPE WITH HIGH DEFORMABILITY FOR STRAIN-BASED DESIGN PIPELINE
Lei Zheng, Minzhuo Bai, Bei Zhang, Tiancheng Cui, Haishen Xu Baoshan Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. Shanghai, China
KEYWORDS Strain based design, X70, linepipe, deformability, aging, stress ratio ABSTRACT In recent years, high strength linepipe needs high longitudinal deformability to meet the requirements of strain-based design pipeline employed when passing through geologic hazard-prone regions, such as seismic areas, landslide zones, permafrost zones, etc. The geologic hazard section of the natural gas pipeline from Myanmar to China is going to utilize a strain-based design. Linepipes with high deformability are required in these areas. The microstructures with different phases and the effect of the microstructure on deformability of pipeline steel were studied. Based on a dual phase of ferrite and banite microstructure design, the X70 grade UOE linepipe with low yield-tensile strength ratio, good uniform elongation and high stress ratio were developed. Two dimensions of UOE linepipe for the strain-based design area of Myanmar-China pipeline project, which were 1016mm O.D. and 17.5mm W.T., 1016 mm O.D. and 21.0mm W.T., were industrially trial-produced. The transverse properties of the trial produced linepipes meet the requirements of X70 steel grade of API Specification 5L. And also the linepipe has good toughness, the Charpy impact energy at -5 is more than 200J, and the shear fracture area of DWTT test is more than 85% at 0. The longitudinal tensile properties of the trial produced linepipe exhibit good deformability. The stress-strain curve shows a typical round-house shape, the uniform elongation u-EL% is more than 7%, the yield-tensile strength ratio is lower than 0.80, the stress ratios of Rt1.5/Rt0.5, Rt2.0/Rt1.0 and Rt5.0/Rt1.0 are more than 1.100, 1.040 and 1.088 respectively. The properties of the linepipe after aging at 200 for 5min to simulate the coating process of the pipe were also investigated. The results show that the linepipe trial-produced has good strain-aging resistance.
INTRODUCTION Pipelines are the most economical and safest technology for land transportation of large quantities of natural gas. High strength linepipe is being adopted for long distance pipeline transporting natural gas in order to improve transportation efficiency through high pressure operation and to reduce pipe laying cost. In recent years a strain-based design has been widely discussed for the use of high strength steel linepipes for pipelines passing through geologic hazard-prone regions, such as seismic areas, landslide zones, permafrost zones, etc. In the case of linepipes laid in these regions, higher resistance to buckling during large strains induced by ground movement is required [1-3]. Linepipes for strain-based design applications are required to have not only high transverse strength, good toughness and weldability but also high longitudinal deformabilities such as low yield to tensile strength (Y/T) ratio, high hardening rate (n-value) and high uniform elongation (u-EL) [4-6]. A linepipe is normally coated for corrosion protection. The coating treatment causes thermal aging because of cold pipe forming [7-8]. The mechanical properties such as Y/T ratio, uniform elongation and stress-strain curve shape also change due to thermal aging. Therefore the linepipe for strain-based design is required to have good strain-aging resistance. In China, energy consumption is expected to continue growing in a scenario where the share of natural gas in primary energy consumption steadily increases. A natural gas pipeline from Myanmar to China is going to be constructed, which will cross some geologic hazard regions in China and therefore employs a strain-based design. The linepipe used in the area is X70 steel grade and is required to have high deformability [9]. In this paper, the results of laboratory experiments on the effect of the microstructure on deformability of pipeline steel are introduced and discussed, as well as the results of the industrial trial-production X70 UOE linepipes for the strain-based design area of Myanmar-China pipeline project are also introduced.
STUDY OF PIPELINE STEEL WITH HIGH DEFORMABILITY IN LABORATORY The deformability of the steel pipes is improved by increasing strain hardenability (lowering T/Y ratio) of the steel. The strain hardenability is strongly affected by microstructure of the steel [10-11]. A dual-phase microstructure consists of harder phases and softer phases which are essential to obtain larger strain hardenability and result in higher deformability. Therefore, different dual-phase microstructures and their effect to deformability of pipeline steel were studied in laboratory trials. The steel used for the study was melted by a 500kg vacuum furnace and cast into slabs 230mm long, 250mm wide and 250mm thick in a laboratory. Table 1 shows the chemical composition of the steel used in this study. Then, the slabs were hot rolled into 22mm thick plates by thermo-mechanical controlled and accelerated cooling process by using a hot-rolling mill in a laboratory. Figure 1 shows the schematic diagram of the cooling processes after final rolling of the plates. The proc. A is air cooling after final rolling for transforming polygonal ferrite and pearlite (PF+P) microstructure. The proc. B is a two-step controlled cooling process that firstly the plate is cooled into the polygonal ferrite region by air cooling after rolling and then is cooled to the acicular ferrite region by accelerated cooling to obtain polygonal ferrite and acicular ferrite (PF+AF) microstructure. The proc. C is also a two-step controlled cooling process that firstly the plate is cooled into the polygonal ferrite region by air cooling and then is cooled to the bainite region by accelerated cooling with faster cooling rate for transforming polygonal ferrite and bainite (PF+B) microstructure. The proc. D is direct fast cooling to the acicular ferrite region after rolling to achieve acicular ferrite and martensite-austenite (AF+MA) microstructure. Longitudinal tensile specimens were machined from the rolled plates. API Specification 5L full thickness strip specimens with 38.1mm wide gauge were used for tensile tests. The stress-strain curves of tensile, the uniform elongation and strain hardening index (n-value) were determined. The microstructures of the longitudinal section of the plates were investigated. Figure 2 shows the four kinds of microstructure of the steel plates with different cooling processes after hot rolling. The microstructure of the steel with proc. A consists of polygonal ferrite and pearlite (PF+P), as figure 2(a). The microstructure of the steel with proc. B consists of polygonal ferrite and acicular ferrite (PF+AF), as figure 2(b). The microstructure of the steel with proc. C consists of polygonal ferrite and bainite (PF+B), as figure 2(c). The microstructure of the steel with proc. C consists of acicular ferrite and martensite-austenite constitutes (AF+MA), as figure 2(d). By scanning electron microscope, the difference of microstructure morphology can be seen between bainite in the steel cooling by proc. C and acicular ferrite in the steel cooling by proc. B, as shown in figure 3. As the cooling rate of the second step of the proc. C is faster than that of the proc. B, and the cooling stop temperature of the proc. C is lower than that of the proc. B, the second phase microstructure is bainite in the steel cooling by the proc. C. In this case, the tensile strength of the steel with PF+B microstructure should be higher than that of the steel with PF+AF microstructure. Figure 4 shows the stress-strain curves of the tensile test of the
laboratory plates. The tensile curve of the steel with PF+P microstructure shows apparent Luders yield plateau with elongation of the Luders yield near 4%, and the tensile strength is the lowest among the four steels. The tensile curve of the steel with PF+AF microstructure also shows Luders yield plateau with elongation of the Luders yield near 2%. The tensile curve of the steel with AF+MA microstructure yields continuously and has higher strength. The tensile curve of the steel with PF+B dual-phase microstructure shows a typical round-house stress-strain curve with continuous yield and has the highest strength among the four laboratory steels. Figure 5 shows the effect of the microstructure on Y/T ratio, the uniform elongation and the n-value of the tensile test of the steels. The uniform elongation of the steel with PF+P microstructure is high, but the Y/T ratio of the steel is high and the n-value of the steel is low, so that the strain hardening property of the steel with PF+P microstructure is low. The Y/T ratio of the steel with PF+AF microstructure also is high, and the n-value of the steel with PF+AF microstructure slightly higher than that of the steel with PF+P microstructure but lower than that of the steel with PF+B microstructure. The steel with PF+B microstructure has the lowest Y/T ratio, the highest n-value and suitable uniform elongation among the four steels. TABLE 1 - CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE STEEL IN LABORATORY (WT.%)
C Mn Si S P Nb Ti others Ceq1) Pcm2) 0.19 0.06 1.80 0.23 0.0020 0.010 0.040 0.012 Cu,Ni,Cr,Mo 0.47 1) Ceq=C+Mn/6+(Cr+Mo+V)/5+(Ni+Cu)/15 2) Pcm=C+Si/30+(Mn+Cu+Cr)/20+Ni/60+Mo/15+V/10+5B
Temperature
Time FIGURE 1 - SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF COOLING PROCESSES OF THE PLATES AFTER FINAL COOLING
(a)
(a)
PF AF
20m
5m
(b)
(b)
B
20m
PF
(c)
5m
20m
(d)
20m
FIGURE 2 - MICROSTRUCTURES OF THE PLATES BY DIFFERENT COOLING PROCESS
(a)proc. A, (b)proc. B, (c)proc. C and (d)proc. D
0.92 0.88
Y/T ratio
As described above, a dual phase microstructure with fine polygonal ferrite and bainite (PF+B) is useful to improve the deformability in high strength steel. Among the four kinds of microstructures studied in the laboratory, the PF+B dual phase microstructure is the best one for the steel to be used for strain-based design pipelines. DEVELOPMENT OF X70 UOE LINEPIPE FOR STRAIN-BASED DESIGN APPLICATION In order to meet the increasing demands of the natural gas in China, a natural gas pipeline from Myanmar to China is going to be constructed. According to the requirements of the pipeline crossing some geologic hazard regions, the X70 steel grade SAWL linepipes with high deformability are needed for the strain based design pipeline. The X70 linepipes for strain-based design in Myanmar to China pipeline project are not only to meet the requirements of X70 steel grade of API Specification 5L for transverse strength, toughness and weldability, but also to meet the requirements of high longitudinal deformability such as low yield to tensile strength (Y/T) ratio, high uniform elongation and high stress ratio that indicates hardening rate. The stress-strain curve of longitudinal tensile test of the steel should be round-house type. The steel is also required to have good strain-aging resistance after aging at 200 for 5min. The requirements of longitudinal deformability of linepipes for the Myanmar to China pipeline project are shown in Table 2[9]. Based on the results of the laboratory experiment, a dual-phase microstructure, which consists of ferrite as softer phase and bainite as harder phase, is the optimal metallurgical design for the high strength steel for the strain-based design linepipe. A low carbon and niobium-bearing composition was used. The industrially trial-produced X70 steel for strain-based design was steel made by 300t converter and refined by LF-treatment and vacuum degassing, then continuously casted into heavy steel slab. The X70 heavy plates with 17.5mm and 21.0mm thickness that used to manufacture UOE linepipe were produced by TMCP in a 5M wide heavy hot roll mill. Plate for high deformability steel with ferrite and bainite microstructure is available by precise temperature control in ACC stage. The two-step cooling process was used. Then, two dimensions of UOE linepipe for the strain-based design area of Myanmar-China pipeline project, which were 1016mm O.D. and 17.5mm W.T., 1016 mm O.D. and 21.0mm W.T., were industrially produced by UOE processing at Baosteel's UOE mill. Nine heats of steel were trial-produced. A typical composition of the industrially trial-produced X70 steel is shown in Table 3. The carbon content of the steel is about 0.060%. The steel is niobium bearing and contains chromium, copper, nickel, molybdenum. Sulfur and phosphor are very low in the steel. It is good for toughness of the steel. The carbon equivalent Ceq and Pcm of the X70 are respectively 0.44% and 0.19%; the steel should have good weldability. The typical microstructures of the industrially trial-produced X70 steel are shown in Figure 6. The microstructure consists of fine polygonal ferrite and bainite. It is a typical dual-phase microstructure
PF+P
PF+AF
AF+MA
PF+B
14
Uniform Elongation / %
n value
AF+MA
PF+B
Before aging 450~570 570~730 0.85 7.0 1.100 1.040 1.088 After aging 450~590 570~730 0.86 6.0 1.070 1.040 1.088 200, 5min
0.058 1.68 0.24 0.0006 0.0083 0.046 0.009 Cu,Ni,Cr,Mo 0.44 0.19
(a)
requirements of API specification 5L X70 linepipe. The yield ratio is very low. The Charpy impact energy of the base metal, HAZ and Weld is good as well as the DWTT. So the industrially trial-produced X70 UOE linepipe has high strength, good toughness and proper yield ratio in the transverse direction of the pipe. Longitudinal tensile properties of the trial produced X70 UOE linepipe were determined. 199 samples with 17.5mm wall thickness and 162 samples with 21.0mm wall thickness were tested before and after aging respectively. Table 5 shows the longitudinal tensile properties of the trial produced X70 UOE linepipe before aging, the stress-strain curves of the longitudinal tensile show the typical round-house shape, as shown in figure 7. The uniform elongation u-EL% is more than 7%, the yield-tensile strength ratio is lower than 0.80, the stress ratios of Rt1.5/Rt0.5, Rt2.0/Rt1.0 and Rt5.0/Rt1.0 are more than 1.100, 1.040 and 1.088 respectively. The trial-produced X70 UOE linepipe has good deformability in longitudinal tensile testing. TABLE 4 - TRANSVERSE PROPERTIES OF 1016mm O.D. TRIAL-PRODUCED X70 UOE LINEPIPE
Wall thickness mm Ave. 17.5 min max Ave. min max Spec. Tensile properties of pipe body Rt0.5, MPa 516 497 567 511 488 572 Rm, MPa 672 615 710 674 630 719 A, % 33 27 38 35 29 40 Rt0.5 /Rm 0.76 0.70 0.83 0.76 0.69 0.83 Tensile 0 of DWTT weld Rm, SA, % Base HAZ Weld MPa -5 Charpy energy, J 244 200 306 271 251 289 198 136 245 188 133 227 182 166 199 176 143 198 80 672 665 690 697 685 710 570 92 90 94 91 89 94 85
(b)
21.0
FIGURE 6 - THE TYPICAL DUAL PHASE MICROSTRUCTURE OF THE INDUSTRIALLY TRIAL-PRODUCED STEELS (a) 17.5mm and (b) 21.0mm in thickness The tensile properties of the industrially trial-produced X70 in the transverse direction of the pipe were tested by using the API specification 5L strip tensile sample. Table 4 shows the transverse tensile properties of the X70 pipe with different wall thickness. The results of the Charpy impact tests and DWTT in the transverse direction of the pipe are also shown in Table 4. The results in Table 4 are from 58 pipes with 17.5mm wall thickness and 37 pipes with 21.0mm wall thickness. The yield and tensile strength of the pipe body meet the
The longitudinal tensile properties of the trial produced X70 UOE linepipe after ageing at 200 for 5 min are shown in Table 6. And the stress-strain curves of the longitudinal tensile are shown in figure 7. After aging, the tensile strength slightly increases and the uniform elongation only slightly decreases. The stress-strain curves keep the typical round-house shape. The results show that the trial-produced linepipe has good strain-aging resistance.
TABLE 6 - LONGITUDINAL TENSILE PROPERTIES OF THE LINEPIPE AFTER AGING AT 200 FOR 5 MIN.
W.T. mm Ave. 17.5 min max Ave. 21.0 min max Spec. Rt0.5, MPa 531 453 590 546 505 590 Rm, MPa 671 604 729 678 611 728 Rt0.5 A, u-EL Rt1.5 /Rm % , % /Rt0.5 0.79 0.69 0.85 0.81 0.72 0.85 33 25 38 35 30 40 7.5 6.5 11.1 6.7 6.2 9.6 1.167 1.073 1.364 1.160 1.071 1.255 Rt2.0 /Rt1.0 1.063 1.042 1.124 1.057 1.040 1.104 Rt5.0 /Rt1.0 1.118 1.084 1.216 1.106
deformability and good aging resistance, as well as high strength and high toughness.
80 70 60
Ave S.D. N
Frequency,%
1.089 1.186
Ave S.D. N
25
30
35
Frequency,%
(a)
800 700 600 Stress,MPa 500 400 300 200 100 0 10 20 Strain,%
(b) 21.0mm W.T
Before Aging After Aging
Out-of-Roundness,mm
70 60 50
Ave S.D. N
30
40
Frequency,%
FIGURE 7 - STRESS-STRAIN CURVES OF LONGITUDINAL TENSILE TEST OF THE STEEL BEFORE AND AFTER AGING The statistic results of dimensions of trial produced UOE linepipe are shown in figure 8. The small dimensional deviation and the good distribution show the excellent forming capability and the control stability of the UOE process. The properties of industrially trial-produced large diameter X70 UOE linepipe for strain-based design all meet the requirements of Technical Specification of SAWL Linepipe for the Myanmar to China Pipeline Project [9, 12]. The trial-produced X70 linepipes have high
CONCLUSION A dual phase microstructure with fine polygonal ferrite and bainite is useful to improve the deformability in high strength steel. Based on the dual phase microstructure design of ferrite and banite, the transverse properties of the linepipes trial produced meet the requirements of X70 steel grade of API Specification 5L. The longitudinal tensile properties of the trial linepipes have good deformability and good strain-aging resistance, and the stress-strain curve shows a typical round-house shape. The developed X70 UOE linepipe with dual phase microstructure of ferrite and banite can be used in the strain-based design section of Myanmar-China pipeline project. REFERENCE [1] N. Suzuki and M. Toyoda. Seismic loading on buried pipelines and deformability of high strength linepipes. Proceedings of International Conference on the Application and Evaluation of High-Grade Linepipes in Hostile Environments, Yokohama, Japan, November 7-8, 2002, 601-628. [2] A. Glover. Application of grade 550(X80) and grade 690(X100) in arctic climates. Proceedings of the International Pipe Dreamer's Conference, Yokohama, Japan, 2002, 33-52. [3] H. Yatabe, N. Fukuda, T. Masuda and M. Toyoda. Application of X80 in Japan: earthquake resistance. Proc. of the 4th international pipeline technology conference, Ostend, Belgium, 2004, 1377-1396. [4] A. Glover and B. Rothwell. Yield strength and plasticity of high strength pipelines. Proc. of the 4th international pipeline technology conference, Ostend, Belgium, 2004, 65-79. [5] N. Ishikawa, M. Okatsu and S. Endo. High deformability UOE linepipes produced by advanced TMCP technology. International Symposium on Microalloyed Steels for Oil & Gas Industry. 2006, 20. [6] I. Takeuchi, H. Makino and H. Shitamoto. Development and progress of high performance steel pipes for gas transmission pipeline under high pressure and axial strain. International pipeline steel Forum 2008. [7] Y. Shiohara, T. Hara, E. Tsuru, H. Asahi, Y. Terada and N. Doi. Change of mechanical properties of high Strength linepipe by themal coating treatment. Proc. 24th International conference, OMAE, Halkidiki, Greece, ASME, OMAE2005-67055. [8] T. Cui, L. Zheng and H. Wu. Effect of strain aging on mechanical properties of high strength pipeline steels with different compositions. Materials for Mechanical Engineering, Vol.34, No.5. 2010, 30-32. [9] CNPC. Technical specification of high strain SAWL linepipe for the Myanmar-China gas pipeline project (domestic section), 2010 [10] N Suzuki, A. Kato, M. Yoshikawa. Development of the linepipe superior to buckling resistance property, NKK Technical Report, No.167, 1999, 44-49. [11] S. Endo, M. Kurihara, N. Suzuki, A. Kato. High strength linepipe having superior buckling resistance. Materials Japan, Vol.39, No.2, 2000, 166-168 [12] CNPC, General technical Specification of steel pipe for natural