Effects of Salt Spray on Corrosion of a Pipeline Steel in Liquid

Volume fracturing technology is currently an effective process for increasing shale gas recovery rates. However, the shale gas extracted by this method often contains CO2 and some fracturing flow-back fluid, forming a corrosive system with gas-liquid coexistence after entering the gathering pipeline. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of salt spray exposure time on the corrosion behavior of L360M pipeline steel through weight loss experiments, corrosion defect testing, corrosion product characterization, and electrochemical tests. The results indicate that salt spray exposure increases the corrosion risk of pipeline steel in a liquid immersion state after salt spray exposure. With increments in salt spray exposure duration, a more compact layer of FeCO3 corrosion products forms on the sample surface, concurrent with a transition in corrosion modality from general to localized corrosion.