CO2 fragilizes steel used in beverage bottles ?

[maleck]

hi folks, any comment or literature reference would be appreciable.

I would like to know if the CO2 inside the Beer bottles or any other gaseous beverage can diffuse and fragilize the steel, even under very long exposures. I am talking about steel bottles either made by welding or deep drawing.

Thank you for your time,
Maleck

 

[arunmrao]

Beer bottle containers I suppose you are referring to stainless steel. The ductile brittle transition temperature is very low for it to be affected by the presence of CO2 in the beer.

 

[maleck]

Thanks arunmrao, interesting point you've raised but I was thinking about beers or gaseous beverages that are stored at ambient temperature. What is then, in your point of view, the relationship between CO2 with the ductile-brittle temperature? Thanks for giving me any more clues.

Maleck

 

[rnd2]

Having spent a good number of years working with an international gas company that then and still supplies seamless steel cylinders of compressed CO2 above 1000 psi, after 30 years experience, I would say it has nil to neglible effect.

 

[Carburize]

No effect at all.

 

[CoryPad]

No, carbon dioxide has negligible diffusion into steel at ambient temperature, and certainly doesn't affect the fracture toughness. Steel beverage containers can fail due to corrosion from the inside since carbonated soft drinks have low pH, and the acid can attack the steel.

Regards,

Cory

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

 

[maleck]

THANK YOU ALL FOR FINDING 2 MINUTES OF YOUR TIME. THANKS FOR THE HELPFUL ANSWERS. Best wishes !
Maleck

 

[HgTX]

I thought beer & soft drink cans were alumin(i)um these days anyway. No?

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[kenvlach]

Hg embrittles aluminum. Better drink quickly.
Ken

 

[CoryPad]

HgTX,

In the USA, the majority of beverage containers are manufactured from Al alloys. However, outside the USA, it is about 50 % Al and 50 % steel.

Regards,

Cory

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

 

[lewtam]

Cory - can't call myself Magellan, but I've been to a bit of Europe and a bit of Asia and I haven't noticed a steel beverage can in about 10 years. Might be a case of something being under my nose and I don't notice it.

LewTam Inc.
Petrophysicist, Leading Hand, Natural Horseman, Prickle Farmer, Crack Shot, Venerable Yogi.

 

[kenre]

Dont all Cans, i know Aliminium ones are, Coated internally with something?

Ken

 

[CoryPad]

lewtam,

I worked for a can manufacturer - steel cans are produced in large quantities.

Ken,

Yes, all beverage cans are coated internally. Typically, it is an acrylic-epoxy blend.

Regards,

Cory

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

 

[SMF1964]

The pH of coke (actually Diet Coke, measured at room temperature, in a freshly opened can, back in 1996) is 3.5 or so. A flaw in the internal acrylic-epoxy blend (thank you CoryPad) coating at the bottom of the can will allow this "acid" to contact the aluminum and corrode through to form a pin-hole leak that vents the soda (a pressurized container) all over your desk, computer keyboard and down the back along the wall where it can't really be cleaned up effectively and gets all sticky and disgusting.

I would not worry about "fragilizing" of your steel cans due to the presence of CO2 due to diffusion of CO2 into the steel. I would be thinking more along the lines of corrosion due to the acidic liquid inside the can.

 

[kenvlach]

The aqueous CO₂ corrosion of steel is of great importance to the oil/gas well & pipeline industry.
A multivariable analysis approach was used in the following study:
"A Neural Network Model for CO₂ Corrosion of Carbon Steel" by Srdjan Nesic and Miran Vrhovac, J. Corros. Sci. Engr., vol 1 (18 March 1999):

http://www.jcse.org/Volume1/paper6/v1p6.html

The corrosion reactions and the models & experimental results of others are given. The only accurate models are for the laboratory case of bare steel corroding in pure CO2 saturated water ("worst-case" corrosion). But reality is more complicated owing to factors such as
formation of protective surface films,
presence of the hydrocarbon phase,
presence of corrosion inhibitors,
presence of glycol or methanol,
condensation in wet gas transport,
multi-phase flow,
steel type,
corrosion history, etc.
This study's artificial intelligence model gives a better data fit than the other models.

Selected References:

1. C. de Waard and D. E. Milliams, "Prediction of Carbonic Acid Corrosion in Natural Gas Pipelines", First International Conference on the Internal and External Corrosion of Pipes, paper F1, University of Durham, UK, 1975.

2. L. G. S. Gray, B. G. Anderson, M. J. Danysh, P. G. Tremaine, "Mechanism of Carbon Steel Corrosion in Brines Containing Dissolved Carbon Dioxide at pH 4", Corrosion/89, paper no. 464, (Houston, TX: NACE International, 1989).

3. S. Nesic, J. Postlethwaite and S. Olsen, "An Electrochemical Model for Prediction of CO₂ Corrosion", Corrosion/95, paper no. 131, (Houston, TX: NACE International, 1995)

4. C. de Waard and U. Lotz, "Prediction of CO₂ Corrosion of Carbon Steel", Corrosion/93, paper no. 69, (Houston, TX: NACE International, 1993).

5. A. Dugstad, L. Lunde and K. Videm "Parametric Study of CO₂ Corrosion of Carbon Steel", Corrosion/94, paper no. 14, (Houston, TX: NACE International, 1994).

6. A. K. Sheikh, J. K. Boah and D. A. Hansen, Corrosion, 46 (1990) p. 190.

7. J. W. Provan and E. S. Rodriguez III, Corrosion 45 (1989) p. 178.

8. C. D. Adams, J. D. Garber, F. H. Walters, C. Singh, "Verification of Computer Modelled Tubing Life Predictions by Field Data", Corrosion/93, paper no. 82, (Houston, TX: NACE International, 1993).

9. C. de Waard and D. E. Milliams, Corrosion, 31 (1975): p.131.

10. G. Schmitt and B. Rothman, Werkstoffe und Korrosion, 28 (1977): p.816.

11. J. O .M. Bockris, D. Drazic and A. R. Despic, Electrochimica Acta, 4 (1961): p.325.

12. S. Nesic, N. Thevenot, and J.L.Crolet, "Electrochemical Properties of Iron Dissolution in CO₂ solutions - basics revisited", Corrosion/96, paper no. 3, (Houston, TX: NACE International, 1996).

13. M. R. Bonis and J. L. Crolet, "Basics of the Prediction of the Risks of CO₂ Corrosion in Oil and Gas Wells", Corrosion/89, paper no. 466, (Houston, TX: NACE International, 1989).

14. L. G. S. Gray, B. G. Anderson, M. J. Danysh and P. R. Tremaine, "Effect of pH and Temperature on the Mechanism of Carbon Steel Corrosion by Aqueous Carbon Dioxide", Corrosion/90, paper no. 40, (Houston, TX: NACE International, 1990).

21. C. de Waard, U. Lotz and A. Dugstad, "Influence of Liquid Flow Velocity on CO₂ Corrosion a Semi-Empirical Model", Corrosion/95, paper no. 128, (Houston, TX: NACE International, 1995).

 

[maleck]

WOW, great work Kenvlach! Impressed! Thanks for the help. Best wishes and have a nice X-mas!!