9 ISSN 1466-8858

Volume 9 Paper 9

The Potential Effect in Cathodic Disbondment

of Buried Pipelines with Aged and High
Performance Coatings
D.S. de Freitas 1
S.L.D.C.Brasil 2
W.Baptista3
J.C.F.Telles4,
J.A.F.Santiago5
J.H.L.Oliver6,

1 LACOR/National Institute of Tecnology INT, Brazil,

denisesf@int.gov.br
2 Schoolof Chemistry/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
simone@eq.ufrj.br
3 PETROBRAS/CENPES/, Brazil, walmar@petrobras.com.br

4 COPPE/ Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, telles@coc.ufrj.br

5 COPPE/ Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,

santiago@coc.ufrj.br
6 PETROBRAS/Transpetro, Brazil, jolito@petrobras.com.br

Abstract

High performance coatings provide excellent protection to

pipelines in service conditions. Such coatings have been applied to
replace aged coatings, which have lost efficiency due to transport,

This is a preprint of a paper that has been submitted for publication in the Journal of Corrosion Science
and Engineering. It will be reviewed and, subject to the reviewers comments, be published online at
http://www.umist.ac.uk/corrosion/jcse in due course. Until such time as it has been fully published it
should not normally be referenced in published work. UMIST 2004.
installation, operation or even due to aging processes. There is
growing concern regarding cathodic protection systems when
segments of high performance coating are placed together among
aged sections, since the current injected assumes a non-uniform
profile. The present work determines the potential distributions on
cathodically protected buried pipelines. Computer simulations using a
three-dimensional application of the Boundary Element Method and
experimental analysis with different soil conditions are carried out.
Parameters such as the distance of anodes to pipelines, efficiency of
aged coating, soil resistivity and presence of scattered/localized
defects are taken into account. The numerical simulations are based
on experimental results and field conditions. Some experimental
cathodic disbondment tests are presented, considering the potential
distribution numerically obtained.

Keywords: Numerical simulation, cathodic disbondment, cathodic

protection, coatings.

Introduction

During the lifetime of pipelines, corrosive processes are likely to

occur. These processes are due to natural aging of coating allied to
damage resulting from transportation, installation and even during
operation. As a consequence, the replacement of pipeline segments is
necessary. These are coated, in plant, with high performance coatings,
such as Fusion Bonded Epoxy (FBE) and Polyethylene Adhesive Tape
(PE3L).

The pipeline replacement has to be accessed in relation to the

cathodic protection applied in the pipeline network. It is especially
relevant because the cathodic protection system is projected to attend
the tubes with aged coatings, such as coaltar enamel, bituminous
coatings, etc, most common in Brazil. Therefore, the current required
to protect the old pipelines can easily overprotect the new segments.
The potentials in this region can reach very negative values.

2
 Attention has to be given to cathodic disbondment of new coatings
as a consequence of overprotection, especially in regions close to
where the anodes are located. If there is any failure in the replaced
pipe, exposing the metal substrate, it is believed that the current
density in that region can be very high leading to serious damage in
the coating. In this case, a progressive disbondment of coating from
the metal substrate is expected. The literature has reported this
process in buried pipelines coated with high performance coatings [1-
3], corroborating with this research.

The high current density is not necessarily the only factor

responsible for the cathodic disbondment. The association with other
parameters can magnify this effect and has to be taken in account. It is
widely accepted that the loss of adhesion of the coatings is related to
the formation of a high alkaline environment in the metal/coating
interface. However, there is not a final agreement about the
mechanisms involved in the disbondment. Some parameters can
influence the process, such as soil resistivity, wet/dry cycles of soil,
treatment of metal surface, etc [4,5]

The aim of this investigation is to determine by computer simulation

the most probable potential of the new segments of pipe and test in
lab the behaviour of the coating regarding cathodic disbondment.
However some real systems have been numerically simulated [6,7],
this kind of cathodic protection problem has not been reported in
literature.

2. Experimental procedure

In order to understand the role of cathodic protection systems in

real buried pipelines with aged and high performance coatings, a joint
research was carried out using tools as computer simulation of the
actual system and investigation of soil characteristics in the laboratory.
Parameters such as curves and resistivity values of soil samples, taken
from regions nearby the segment of the replaced pipe (high
performance coating), were experimentally obtained.
The aim of the investigation is to determine, by computer
simulation, the most probable potential developed over the new

3
segments of pipe and test in lab the behaviour of the coating
regarding cathodic disbondment. Here, the methodology employed in
this research is presented, whereas the cathodic disbondment tests are
to be discused in a future work.

2.1. Preliminary modelling

A preliminary modelling with a real system was carried out with

soil resistivity of 1,000 ohm.cm, previously obtained in laboratory. As
a means to evaluate the presence of pipe sections with high
performance coatings in old buried pipelines, numerical simulations
have been carried out using a software based on the Boundary Element
Method [8]. Initially, a real pipeline with approximately 122 Kilometers,
was analyzed. The pipeline is protected by impressed current anodes
and there are three sections with new coatings (99.9% of efficiency). In
Figure 1, the simulated pipeline is schematically represented and
shows the impressed current anodes at different distances fromto the
pipeline. The total current was supplied in order to keep the potential
over the whole pipe in, at least, -0.85VCu/CuSO4.

0 122.936
39.353 48.316 55.000
(340) (570) (200)
115.300
(141,15)



8.653 64.200 92.500 112.400 119.300
(71,3) (45) (88) (115) (110)
Pipe Characteristics
Pipe diameter= 1,016 m
(40) Aging coating anodes
(80%efficiency)
Localization of anodes
Deep of pipe = 2,008 m
(distance from the pipe)
New coating
length unit = meters (99.9%efficiency) Pipe repairing localization
(pipe repairing extension)

Figure1 Schematic representation of the characteristics of the

actual pipeline simulated.

4
 The following conditions have been considered for the numerical
simulations: anodes as impressed current point sources and cathodic
curves, experimentally obtained in 1,000 ohm.cm soil, as pipeline
boundary conditions. The buried pipe was modelled using cylindrical
quadrangular elements.

Beyond the simulation of the real pipeline, other simulations

have been accomplished in order to analyse some parameters that
influence the potential distribution in the buried pipe. For this, smaller
hypothetical pipes have been simulated (100m and 10,000m). The
following parameters have been evaluated:

the form of representation of possible failures in the new coating:

small distributed failures or a single failure;
the influence of the distance between anode and pipe;
the potential profiles, considering different coating efficiencies;
the potential distribution in the interface between new and old
coatings.

2.2. Laboratory methodology

In order to improve the numerical simulation and to define
parameters to study cathodic disbondment, a research on the soil
sample was executed. The first step was to analyse the physical-
chemistry properties of the soil. Then, the resistivity of the soil, as
received and as a function of the humidity content, was determined.
After that, the behaviour of the metal (bare pipe) in soil as a function
of the water content was obtained. These results defined the resistivity
and the polarization curves adopted for numerical simulation, which in
turn will provide the proper potential to be used in the cathodic
disbondment test).

3. Results and discussions

3.1. Experimental results

3.1.1. Soil analysis

5
 The soil samples taken from the region of the new segment of
pipe were analysed. Table I shows this characterisation and Table II the
physical-chemistry analysis.
It can be observed that the soil resistivity alters from one sample
to another. Therefore the variation of resistivity as a function of
humidity content was determined. The methodology used is described
elsewhere [9] and consists of drying out the soil and to add the
percentage, in weight, of water progressively. Figure 10 presents the
behaviour of the samples in relation of humidity.

Table I: Characterization of soil samples as received

SOIL SAMPLES AS RECEIVED
Kilometer Kilometer Kilometer
39.353 48.316 55.000
Humidity Content
27,81 28,78 29,34
(%)
Resistivity (.cm) 87000 4950 31500
pH 6,40 7,16 5,71
Table II: Physical-chemistry analysis of soil samples

SOIL PARAMETERS SAMPLES

Kilometer Kilometer Kilometer
39.353 48.316 55.000
Cl- 0,07 ppm 9,04 ppm 5,92 ppm
SO4 0,067 ppm 0,029 ppm 0,012 ppm
Na 8,97 ppm 14,26 ppm 23,23 ppm
Ca++ 120 ppm 1020 ppm 280 ppm
Mg++ 72 ppm 84 ppm 132 ppm
Al+++ 144 ppm 0,0 90 ppm
P 1 ppm 9 ppm 51 ppm
K 25 ppm 156 ppm 62 ppm
Conductivity 0,1 mS/cm 0,26 mS/cm 0,2 mS/cm
% Sand 72 62 79
%Clay 6 22 18
%Silt 22 16 3

6
 1200

1000

Resistivity (k ohm.cm)
800 39

48
600
55

400

200

0
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
Humidity content

Figure 2 - The soil samples behaviour in function of humidity content

It can be observed in Figure 2 that the resistivity does not vary

after 15% humidity for the samples in Kilometer 48 and 55, and for
kilometer 39 after 25% humidity. This characteristic is probably related
to the higher resistivity in comparison with the other samples (Table I).

3.1.2 Polarization curves

Polarization curves were obtained to be used to the numerical
simulation and also had the objective to define the electrochemical
conditions of the pipe in the soil. The methodology employed was a
three electrodes cell, where the working electrode was a steel sample,
a calomelan saturated electrode as a reference and a graphite rod as
an auxiliary electrode. The soil with various humidity contents was the
electrolyte. The curves are shown in Figures 3 to 5.

100
0
0
-200

-100 Humidity Content

-400
Humidity Content 5%
-200
-600
10%
15%
-300 15%
E (mV)

-800
E (mV)

20% 20%
-400 -1000
25% 25%
-500 30% -1200 30%
35%
35% -1400
-600

-1600
-700

-1800
-800
0,01 0,1 1 10 100 1000 -2000
Log i (mA/cm2) 0,01 0,1 1 10 100 1000 10000
Log i (mA/cm2)

Anodic polarization Cathodic polarization

7
 Figure 3 - Polarization curves of Kilometer 39.353.of soil sample

0
100

-200
0

-100
-400
Hum idity Conte nt

-200 -600
5% Humidity Content
10%
E (mV)

-300 -800 5%

E( mV)
15%
-400 20% -1000 10%
25% 15%
-500
35% -1200
30% 20%
-600
-1400 25%
-700 30%
-1600
-800
35%
0,0001 0,001 0,01 0,1 1 10 100 1000 10000 100000 -1800
Log i (m A/cm2) 0,001 0,01 0,1 1 10 100 1000
Log i (mA/cm2)

Anodic polarization Cathodic polarization

Figure 4 - Polarization curves of Kilometer 48.316.of soil sample

0
100

-200
0

-400
-100
Humidity Content
-600
Humidit y Content
-200 5%
-800
E (m V )

10%
E (mV )

-300
5%
10% -1000
15%
-400 15% 20%
20%
-1200 25%
-500 25% -1400
30%
30% 35%
-600 -1600
35%
-700 -1800
0,1 1 10 100 1000 0,1 1 10 100 1000

Log i ( mA/cm2 ) Log i (m A/cm2 )

Anodic polarization Cathodic polarization

Figure 5 - Polarization curves of Kilometer 55.000 of soil sample

The polarization curves showed that in low humidity contents

the currents are low, in agreement with the high resistivity of the soil
(Figure 2). On the other hand, increasing the water content the
currents increased indicating a higher corrosivity of the soil. The
curves also showed that there is no passivation process of steel during
the anodic polarization indicating active corrosion as the humidity
increases.
Computer simulations pointed out there is a possibility that the
potentials can reach high negative values over the new coating
segment (Figures 7 and 8). If this was really possible, that segment

8
would be overprotected and the coating could be damaged. Therefore
new curves were obtained, but this time in extreme cathodic
potentials, up to the limitation of the equipment. The humidity
contents were chosen to simulate dried to wet conditions of the soil.
The aim of these experiments was to check the limiting currents found
during extreme cathodic potentials. Figure 6 shows the curves
obtained.

0
Humidity Content
-500
15%
-1000 35%

-1500
E (m V)

-2000

-2500

-3000

-3500
0,000001 0,00001 0,0001 0,001 0,01 0,1 1 10
2
Log i (mA/cm )

Figure 6 - Cathodic curves for Kilometer 48 sample

3.2. Numerical results

3.2.1. Potential distribution on real pipeline

The curves with 35% and 15% humidity content, presented in

Figure 6, have been adopted as boundary condition for simulating a
real pipeline. The results are shown in Figures 7 and 8.

The repairs and the distance between anode and pipeline

influence the potential distribution. Here, the positioning of anodes
and repaired segments are schematically represented, the real
distances between anodes and pipeline are indicated in Figure 1.

In order to keep the minimum potential at about 0.85 VCu/CuSO4,

different current values have been applied to each anode bed. The
current value is a function of the distance between anode and pipeline.

9
 anodes c urre nt: resistivity = 3,400 ohm.cm
1- 9000A 4-1 500A
2- 9000A 5- 5 00A repairs
3- 9500A 6- 5 00A anodes
-0.80
-0 .85

-1.00

-1.20

-1.40
Po tential (V Cu/CuSO4)

-1.60

-1.80

-2.00

-2.20

2
-2.40
1
-2.60 3

4 6
-2.80
5
-3.00

0 20000 40000 60000 80000 100000 120000

pip elin e coordinate (m)

Figure 7 Numerical simulation considering 35% humidity content

cathodic polarization curve (resistivity = 3,400 ohm.cm).

10
 anode s current:
resistivity = 36,500 ohm.cm
1- 400A 4-120A
2- 220A 5- 50A repairs
-0.80 3- 240A 6- 10A ano des
-0.85

-1.00

-1.20

-1.40
Potential (V Cu/CuSO4)

-1.60

-1.80

-2.00

-2.20

-2.40

-2.60
2
-2.80 1 3 6
4
5
-3.00

0 20000 40000 60000 80000 100000 120000

pipeline coordinate (m)

Figure 8 Numerical simulation considering 15% humidity content

cathodic polarization curve (resistivity =36,500 ohm.cm).

3.2.2. Failures representation of new coating

Failures can be simulated as a single region without coating or as small

failures, uniformly distributed, with the same area. The uncoated area is a function of
the efficiency attributed to a coating. In fact, a n efficiency of 99.9% means that 0.1%
of the pipe is without coating. In the simulations, both cases are considered: a
uniform distribution was admitted, by considering 99.9% for the new coating and 80%
for the old one, and just a single failure whose area was equal to 0.1% of the section
with new coating. In the latter case, a null current was admitted for the pipe section
with the new coating and the failure was simulated as a sphere positioned close to
the pipe.

The potential calculated considering uniformly distributed failures was found

to be more cathodic (-1.32 VCu/CuSO4 ) than the potential of a single failure (-1,10
VCu/CuSO4). Therefore, the simulation of failures distributed over the pipe generates
more cathodic potentials and is in fact, more adequate if one is aiming at an

11
investigation of possible overprotection potentials in a pipeline with new and aged
coatings.

3.2.3. Influence of distance between anode and pipeline

Figure 9 a and b shows the great influence of the distance between anode
and pipe. This item refers to the quantification of this influence, considering a 100m
and a 100 Km pipe with a single anode located at different distances, in a 3,400
ohm.cm soil resistivity.
The distance above which no significant potential variation can be observed is
related to the length of the pipe. High cathodic potential values have been observed
in the section with new coating, where there is a greater current density.

99.9%
coa ting
effciency
-0. 80 old pi pe old pipe

-1. 20
Potential (V)

-1. 60
ano de/pipeline distan ce
pip eline len gth = 100 m

10 m
20 m

-2. 00 40 m
50 m

40 50 60
Pipeline coordinate (m)

(a)

12
 -0 .8 0

-1 .2 0

-1 .6 0
Pot ential (V)

-2 .0 0

anode/pipeline distance
pipeline length = 100 Km

10 Km
-2 .4 0
20 Km
40 Km
50 Km

-2 .8 0

40000 50000 60000

Pipeline coordinate (m)

(b)

Figure 9 - Influence of the distance between anodes bed and pipeline.

3.2.4. Influence of aged coating efficiency in the potential distribution

Figures 10 and 11 present simulations considering one remote

anode from the pipeline and two alternative soil resistivity values.
Three different coating efficiency values have been considered for the
old pipeline and, in order to keep the minimum potential at about
0.85 V Cu/CuSO4, different current values have been applied. Maintaining
a minimum protection level at the old pipeline, the new coating
segment achieves more cathodic values as the efficiency of the old
pipeline coating diminishes.

It is important to point out that this potential peak is solely due

to the difference of efficiency between the two coating values (aged
and new one), since the anode has been located remote from the
pipeline.

13
 -0 .80 99.9%
old pipe old pipe
coating
effciency

-1 .00
Potential (V)

-1 .20

re sistivity = 3,40 0 ohm.cm

-1 .40 old pipe coa ting ef fic ie nc y

7 0%
8 0%

9 0%

-1 .60

47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54
Pipeline coordina te (m)
Figure 10 Potential distribution considering different old pipe coating
efficiency (resistivity = 3,400 ohm.cm).

-0.80 99.9 %
old pipe old pi pe
coating
effcie ncy

-1.00
Po ten tial (V)

-1.20

resistivity = 36,500 ohm.cm

-1.40 old pipe coating efficiency

70%
80%
90%

-1.60

47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54
Pipeline coord inate (m)

14
Figure 11 Potential distribution considering different old pipe coating
efficiency (resistivity = 36,500 ohm.cm).

3. Conclusions

A number of numerical simulations has been carried out,

considering two different soil resistivity values and several distances
between anode beds and pipeline. The simulations indicated the
following:

there are two causes for the developed potential peaks over the
pipeline, first the proximity of the anode and second the difference
between coating efficiency values;

there is a limiting distance between anode and pipe after which the
potential peak generated over the new coating section of the
pipeline remains unchanged. This distance is related to the pipeline
length.

the negative potential peak in the new pipe segment has been
found to be a direct function of the difference between new and
aged coating efficiency. It was observed that this behaviour become
more pronounced as the original coating deteriorates and the soil
resistivity decreases.

4. References

[1] Payer J.H. et al., "Fundamental research on disbonding of pipeline

coatings". Final report, april 1, 1991 - december 31, 1995, Case
Western Reserve University, Dept. of Materials Science and
Engineering: Cleveland, OH. 1996.
[2] Rodriguez R.E., Trautman B., Payer J.H., "Influencing factors in
cathodic disbondment of fusion bonded epoxy coatings". Corrosion
2000. Orlando: NACE International.

15
[3] Leidheiser H.J., W. Wang, Igetoft L., "The mechanism for cathodic
delamination of organic coatings from a metal surface". Progress in
Organic Coatings, 1983. 11: p. 19-40.
[4] J.J.Perdomo, I.Song, Chemical and Electrochemical Conditions on
Steel under disbonded coatings: the effect of applied potential,
solution resistivity, crevice thickness and holiday size, Corrosion
Science, 42, pp 1389-1415, 2000.
[5] Perdomo J.J., Chabica M.E., Song I., Chemical and Electrochemical
Conditions on Steel under disbonded coatings: the effect of previously
corroded surfaces ans wet and dry cycles, Corrosion Science, 43, pp
515-532, 2001.
[6] W.Baptista, S. L.D.C.Brasil, J.C.F.Telles, Assessment of Internal
Cathodic Protection in Pipelines for Seawater Collection in Oil
Platforms, Materials Perfomance, April 2004.
[7] M.Schultz, S.L.D.C.Brasil, L.Miranda, W.Baptista, R.Brito, Cathodic
Protection Simulation of Aboveground Storage Tank Bottom: an
Experimental and Numerical Results. Nice, France, SCI - Socit de
Chimie Industrielle, Eurocorr 2004.
[8] C.A.Brebbia, J.C.F.Telles, L.C.Wrobel, Boundary Element
Techniques: Theory and Applications in Engineering, Spring-Verlag,
Berlin, 1984.
[9] Silva, J.M.; Tersariol, L.H., 24 o CONBRASCORR 2004, Rio de Janeiro,
2004

16