Abstract
Trunk pipelines work under a cyclic
dynamical mechanical load because when oil or gas is
pumped, the pressure constantly changes - pulsates.
Therefore, the fatigue phenomenon is a common
reason of accidents. The fatigue phenomenon more
often happens in the zone of non-metallic inclusions
concentration. To know how the characteristics of nonmetallic
inclusions influence the probability of an
accident the most modern research methods should be
used.
It is determined with the help of the modern
research methods that the accident rate of welded
joints of pipelines is mostly influenced by their
morphological type, composition and size of
nonmetallic inclusions, this effect is more important
than the common level of pollution by non-metallic
inclusions. The article presents the results of the
investigations of welded joints, obtained after the use of
different common welding materials. We used the
methods, described in the state standards: scanning
electronic microscopy, spectral microprobe analysis
and nano-indentation. We found out that non-metallic
inclusions act like stress concentrators because they
shrink, forming a blank space between metal and nonmetallic
inclusions; it strengthens the differential
properties on this boundary. Nonmetallic inclusion is
not fixed, it can move.
The data that we have received mean that during
welded joints’ contamination (with non-metallic
inclusions) monitoring process, more attention should
be paid to the content of definite inclusions, but not to
total contamination.