Electrochemical Evolution Mechanism of Under-deposit Corrosion of J55 Steel in a Saturated CO2 Environment

HUANG Jufeng; WANG Shengnan; WANG Xin; LI Yanyan; CHEN Zihan; FU Anqin

doi:10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.14.003

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Surface Technology ›› 2026, Vol. 55 ›› Issue (14) : 33-43. DOI: 10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.14.003

Corrosion and Protection

Electrochemical Evolution Mechanism of Under-deposit Corrosion of J55 Steel in a Saturated CO₂ Environment

HUANG Jufeng^1,*, WANG Shengnan², WANG Xin³, LI Yanyan⁴, CHEN Zihan¹, FU Anqin¹

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Abstract

Under-deposit corrosion (UDC) presents a critical threat to the integrity of J55 steel wellbore tubes during Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) enhanced oil recovery operations. While the qualitative effects of deposits are recognized, the transient electrochemical evolution and spatial correlation of UDC throughout its entire life cycle remain poorly understood at the microscopic scale. The work aims to provide a comprehensive investigation of the electrochemical kinetics and spatial-temporal evolution of UDC on J55 steel in saturated CO₂-produced water through advanced wire beam electrode (WBE) technology, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and electrochemical noise (EN) analysis. To decouple the complex interactions between varying surface conditions, a multidimensional experimental framework was established. A 10×10 WBE matrix, with a 50% coverage ratio, was specifically utilized to replicate localized scale damage. This setup enabled, for the first time, the high-resolution mapping of galvanic current density and potential distribution between bare metallic surfaces and scale-covered regions. Unlike conventional immersion tests, this approach allowed for the capture of the site-specific transition from initiation to steady-state corrosion. The electrochemical evolution was further complemented by characterizing the phase composition and morphology of the corrosion product layers with XRD and SEM. Experimental findings revealed that the corrosion of J55 steel was governed by the structural transformation of the Fe_xCa_1-xCO₃/FeCO₃ film. In the initial phase (0-24 h), the formation of relatively loose and porous Fe_xCa_1-_xCO₃ crystals significantly exacerbated the corrosion of the underlying substrate. A sharp increase in galvanic current density, peaking at 5.2×10^-7 A/cm², was recorded at the interface, confirming the initiation of a macro-galvanic cell due to the difference in local environment chemistry. A pivotal discovery of this work was the mechanism of "polarity reversal" observed at 6 h of immersion, where the scale-covered region shifted from a cathodic protector to a sacrificial anodic site, driven by the acidification of the under-deposit micro-environment and the hindered diffusion of iron ions. The EN analysis, processed through both Fourier Transform and wavelet transform, provided a mechanistic breakdown of the pitting evolution. During the transition phase (6-36 h), the energy distribution in the medium-frequency band (0.01-0.1 Hz) escalated, signaling rapid metastable pitting growth. The calculation of the PSD linear slope (K) provided quantitative evidence, with a transition from values > -20 dB/decade (indicating unstable local corrosion) to < -20 dB/decade as the FeCO₃ layer reached a state of relative passive stability. By 48 h, the filling of voids within the initial porous film by more compact FeCO₃ crystals acted as a self-healing kinetic barrier, effectively suppressing the pitting frequency. Finally, after 72 h, the corrosion regime underwent a fundamental transformation from active pitting to a suppressed uniform corrosion state, as confirmed by the damping of high-frequency potential transients. This work demonstrates that the service life of J55 steel is strictly limited by the competitive growth kinetics of the Fe-Ca carbonate films. The results establish that the coupling of interfacial galvanic effects and internal acid-induced pitting is the primary mechanism of premature failure. These insights bridge the gap between microscopic electrochemical phenomena and macroscopic failure modes, offering a robust theoretical foundation for developing proactive corrosion monitoring techniques and failure prediction models for CCUS-related infrastructure.

Key words

J55 steel / CO₂ corrosion / under-deposit corrosion / wire beam electrode / electrochemical noise

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HUANG Jufeng, WANG Shengnan, WANG Xin, LI Yanyan, CHEN Zihan, FU Anqin. Electrochemical Evolution Mechanism of Under-deposit Corrosion of J55 Steel in a Saturated CO₂ Environment[J]. Surface Technology. 2026, 55(14): 33-43

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Funding

National Key R&D Program of China (2023YFF0614100); CNPC Scientific and Technical Project (2025DJ106); Scientific Research and Technology Development Project of Petrochina (2021ZZ01-04)