Smart Polymeric Liners for Internal Corrosion Control in Wet Sour Gas Pipelines: Integrating Nanostructured Materials and AI-Driven Predictive Modelling
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Abstract
Sour gas pipelines suffer severe integrity challenges due to internal corrosion driven by hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and carbon dioxide (CO₂). This study introduces a novel smart polymeric liner enhanced with nanostructured graphene and nanosilica fillers, integrated into a CFD→AI→digital twin workflow for predictive corrosion control. Unlike conventional inhibitors and coatings, the liner combines nanostructural impermeability, mechanical reinforcement, and tailored interfacial adhesion strategies to suppress corrosion in API 5L X65 steel pipelines. CFD simulations demonstrate that bare pipelines exhibit extreme corrosion rates, while lined systems reduce rates to near-negligible levels (< 0.002 mm/year). An AI regression model trained on CFD outputs and experimental data achieves an R² ≈ 0.99, enabling accurate forecasts of corrosion rates and remaining service life. Integration into a digital twin framework allows real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance scheduling, and dynamic risk assessment. This work establishes a next-generation material–digital solution for extending the service life of sour gas pipelines.
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References
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