Mud mass transport due to waves based on an empirical rheology model featured by hysteresis loop

A vertical 2-D water-mud numerical model is developed for estimating the rate of mud mass transport under wave action. A nonlinear semi-empirical rheology model featured by remarkable hysteresis loops in the relationships of the shear stress versus both the shear strain and the rate of shear strain of mud is applied to this water mud model. A logarithmic grid in the vertical direction is employed for numerical treatment, which increases the resolution of the flow in the neighborhood of both sides of the interface. Model verifications are given through comparisons between the calculated and the measured mud mass transport velocities as well as wave height changes. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Corrosion failure of marine steel in sea-mud containing sulfate reducing bacteria

The corrosion failure behavior of marine steel is affected by stress, which exists in offshore structures at sea-mud region. The sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) in the sea-mud made the steel more sensitive to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and weaken the corrosion fatigue endurance. In this paper, a kind of natural sea-mud containing SRB was collected. Both SCC tests by slow strain rate technique and corrosion fatigue tests were performed on a kind of selected steel in sea-mud with and without SRB at corrosion and cathodic potentials. After this, the electrochemical response of static and cyclic stress of the specimen with and without cracks in sea-mud was analyzed in order to explain the failure mechanism. Hydrogen permeation tests were also performed in the sea-mud at corrosion and cathodic potentials. It is concluded that the effect of SRB on environment sensitive fracture maybe explained as the consequences of the acceleration of SRB on corrosion rate and hydrogen entry into the metal.

Effect of sulfate-reducing bacteria on corrosion behavior of mild steel in sea mud

Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) is very severe corrosion for constructions buried under sea mud environment. Therefore it is of great importance to carry out the investigation of the corrosion behavior of marine steel in sea mud. In this paper, the effect of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) on corrosion behavior of mild steel in sea mud was studied by weight loss, dual-compartment cell, electronic probe microanalysis (EPMA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM).combined with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results showed that corrosion rate and galvanic current were influenced by the metabolic activity of SRB. In the environment of sea mud containing SRB, the original corrosion products, ferric (oxyhydr) oxide, transformed to iron sulfide. With the excess of the dissolved H2S, the composition of the protective layer formed of FeS transformed to FeS2 or other non-stoichiometric polysulphide, which changed the state of the former layer and accelerated the corrosion process.

The hydrogen permeation investigation of API X56 steel in sea mud

It was found that the corrosion rate of steel in the sea mud with sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) could be as high as 10 times of that in the sea mud without SRB. And the hydrogen permeation reaction would occur when metals were corroded. So it is necessary to investigate the effect of living SRB on hydrogen permeation in the sea mud. Cathodic potential was often added to metals in order to protect them. But hydrogen permeation could be affected by the cathodic potential. So it is also necessary to study the effect of cathodic potential on hydrogen permeation. In this paper, the hydrogen permeation actions of APT X56 steel in the sea mud with and without SRB at corrosion and cathodic potential were studied with an improved Devanathan-Stachurski's electrolytic cell. Experimental results showed that during the growth of SRB, the current density curve of hydrogen permeation was accordant with the growth curve of SRB. But the hydrogen permeation current density of APT X56 steel hardly changed in the sterilized sea mud. Compared with the hydrogen permeation current density of APT X56 steel in the sterilized sea mud, the hydrogen permeation of APT X56 steel in the sea mud could be accelerated by living SRB. Experimental results also showed that the hydrogen permeation current density increased rapidly when the cathodic potential was added to the three-electrode system of the cathodic cell, and then the hydrogen permeation current density could obtain a stable value slowly. So the cathodic potential added to the cathodic cell could accelerate hydrogen permeation.