Abstract: The corrosion process of the X70 pipeline steel in 3.0wtaCI solution were studied using polarization method, and the chronological characteristics during the entire polarization plot were investigated in detail using EIS technique. In the active region of X70 steel, such as 20mV potential bias applied on open circuit potential (OCP), the impedance spectra was comprised of three parts: a high-frequency capacitive loop, a middle-frequency capacitive loop and a low-frequency inductive component. When positive polarization potential increased, the capacitive loops at high and middle frequency range merged, and the inductive component at low frequency shrunk. At high positive polarization potential bias (500-800mV vs. OCP), the high-frequency capacitive loop and the low-frequency inductive loop exhibited as disheveled points due to the synergism of the inhomogeneity of the corroding material and the localized corrosion. The results were fitted utilizing the equivalent circuits to simulate the impedance spectra and to interpret the electrochemical features shown during the experiments.

Key words: X70 pipeline steel, corrosion polarization, EIS