Graphitic Corrosion
Graphitic Corrosion
Specimen
8.25-inch ID cast iron water pipe.
Material
Ferritic-pearlitic gray cast iron.
Environment
Buried in soil.
Background
The 8.25-inch ID water pipe was part of a riser serving a sprinkler system. The pipe, which was buried underground, had fractured into two sections.
Service Life
The cast iron piping had been in service for approximately 30 years.
Findings
Examination of a longitudinal cross-section of the pipe wall (shown above) revealed several regions of severe localized corrosion. The iron constituent of the cast iron had dissolved away, leaving only a layer of brittle and weak graphite. This cast iron deterioration is known as graphitic corrosion. A metallographic examination of a cross-section transverse to the fracture surface revealed the presence of a wall thickness composed entirely of graphite. The remaining graphite is extremely brittle and weak. As a result, slight loading imposed upon the pipe could result in the fracture of the pipe.