Internal stress-corrosion cracking in anthropogenic CO2 pipelines: is it possible?

Transporting anthropogenic C02 in pipelines, either in dense phase or gaseous phase, is an essential component in the practical realisation of carbon capture and storage (CCS).Whichever phase is considered,the likelihood and severity of internal degradation mechanisms arising from C02 transportation under normal operating conditions and under process upsets needs to be assessed. Whilst internal corrosion has been a focus of research in this area, the risk of stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) has not been extensively investigated.This paper explores the level of risk posed by SCC in C02 pipelines, and the gaps in current knowledge, together with a presentation of test results that investigate the presence of SCC in simulated C02 environments in the presence of impurities.