Insights into the Interfacial Process in Electroless Ni–P Coating on Supercritical CO₂Transport Pipeline as Relevant to Carbon Capture and Storage

Abstract

To reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions and remedy related environmental damage, the research on carbon capture and storage (CCS) is gaining momentum and so is the search for a more effective way to control corrosion of pipeline steel used to transport impure supercritical (SC) CO2. Herein, we prepared an electroless high-phosphorus Ni–P coating and, for the first time, systematically explored the underlying mechanism of the interfacial process in applying Ni–P coating to protect pipeline steel that transports impure SC CO2. It is found that, benefiting from the formation of a protective surface film, Ni–P coating significantly mitigates the corrosion effects from SC CO2 and impurities (e.g., O2 and NO2), especially the synergistic effect of impurities. Concurrently, it effectively avoids the localized corrosion resulting from nonuniform adsorption of the aqueous phase. Although O2 and NO2 can degrade the coating through boosting water precipitation, deteriorating the water chemistry, and reducing the surface film protectiveness, the corrosion inhibition efficiency of Ni–P coating is invariably higher than 80%, independent of the varying causticity of SC CO2 streams, demonstrating that the coating has a superior stability toward corrosion attack. The as-prepared Ni–P coating undoubtedly holds great potential as an alternative for corrosion control of CO2 transport pipeline in the CCS industry. This work provides a new, feasible method to ensure the safe and efficient operation of CCS.