Q1.

API 571: brittle fracture

Which of these is a description of brittle fracture?
 (a) Sudden rapid fracture of material with plastic deformation
 (b) Sudden rapid fracture of material without plastic deformation
 (c) Unexpected failure as a result of cyclic stress
 (d) Fracture caused by reaction with sulphur compounds

2.

Q2. API 571: brittle fracture: affected materials

Which of these storage tank construction materials
are particularly susceptible to brittle fracture?
 (a) Plain carbon and high alloy steels
 (b) Plain carbon, low alloy, and 300 series stainless steels

(c) Plain carbon, low alloy, and 400 series stainless steels
 (d) High-temperature resistant steels

3.

Q3. API 571: brittle fracture: critical factors

At what temperature is a brittle fracture of a storage
tank most likely to occur?
 (a) Temperatures above 400 °C
 (b) Temperatures above the Charpy impact transition temperature
 (c) Temperatures below the Charpy impact transition temperature
 (d) In the range 20–110 °C

4.

Q4. API 571: brittle fracture

Which of these activities is unlikely to result in a high
risk of brittle fracture of a storage tank?
 (a) Repeated hydro-testing above the Charpy impact transition temperature
 (b) Initial hydro testing at low ambient temperatures
 (c) Commissioning of thin-walled tanks
 (d) Autorefrigeration events in low pressure tanks
5.

Q5. API 571: brittle fracture: prevention/mitigation

What type of material change will reduce the risk of
brittle fracture?
 (a) Use a material with lower toughness
 (b) Use a material with lower impact strength
 (c) Use a material with a higher ductility
 (d) Use a thicker material section

6.

Q6. API 571: brittle fracture: appearance

Cracks resulting from brittle fracture will most likely
be predominantly:
 (a) Branched
 (b) Straight and non-branching
 (c) Intergranular
 (d) Accompanied by localized necking around the crack

7.

Q7. API 571: mechanical fatigue: description

What is mechanical fatigue?
 (a) The result of excessive temperatures
 (b) The result of temperature-induced corrosion
 (c) The result of high stresses caused by high temperatures
 (d) The result of cyclic stresses caused by dynamic loadings

8.

Q8. API 571: mechanical fatigue: critical factors

As a practical rule, resistance to mechanical fatigue is
mainly determined by what aspect of a piece of
equipment?
 (a) Its design
 (b) Its operation
 (c) The material microstructure
  (d) The material’s heat treatment

9.

Q9. API 571: mechanical fatigue: appearance

What will a fracture face of a component that has
failed by mechanical fatigue most likely exhibit?
 (a) Fine branching cracks
 (b) Dagger-shaped lines
 (c) Beach marks
 (d) Chevron marks

10.

Q10. API 571: prevention/mitigation

Mechanical fatigue cracking is best avoided by:
 (a) Specifying long weld leg lengths
 (b) Blending weld toes
 (c) Keeping temperature cycling to a minimum
 (d) Using a high strength material

11.

4.7 API 571 practice questions (set 2

Q1. API 571: atmospheric corrosion
Atmospheric corrosion is primarily caused by:
 (a) Wind
 (b) Water
 (c) Acid rain
 (d) Daily or seasonal temperature cycles

12.

Q2. API 571: atmospheric corrosion

As a practical rule, atmospheric corrosion:

 (a) Only occurs under insulation

 (b) Maybe localized or general (widespread)
 (c) Is generally localized
 (d) Is generally widespread
13.

Q3. API 571: atmospheric corrosion: critical factors

A typical atmospheric corrosion rate in mils (1 mil =
0.001 inches) per year (mpy) of steel in an inland
location with moderate precipitation and humidity is:
 (a) 1–3 mpy
 (b) 5–10 mpy
 (c) 10–20 mpy
 (d) 50–100 mpy

14.

Q4. API 571: CUI: critical factors

Which of these metal temperature ranges will result in
the most severe CUI?
 (a) 0–51 °C
 (b) 100–121 °C
 (c) 0 to -10 °C
 (d) 250+°C

15.

Q5. API 571: CUI: appearance

Which other corrosion mechanism often accompanies
CUI in 300 series stainless steels?
 (a) HTHA (high-temperature hydrogen attack)
 (b) Erosion–corrosion
 (c) Dewpoint corrosion
 (d) SCC

16.

Q6. API 571: CUI: affected equipment

Which area of a lagged storage tank shell would you say could be particularly
susceptible to CUI?

 (a) Around nozzles

 (b) Around lagging support rings and wind girders
 (c) Near the product fill line
  (d) On the windward side

17.

Q7. API 571: CUI: appearance

Once lagging has been removed from an unpainted
tank structure, CUI normally looks like this:
 (a) Deep gouges
 (b) Bulges
 (c) Loose flaky scale
 (d) White or grey deposit

18.

Q8. API 571: CUI: prevention/mitigation

Which of these actions may reduce the severity of CUI
on a lagged storage tank?
 (a) Adding additional layers of insulation
 (b) Using calcium silicate insulation
 (c) Using mineral wool insulation
 (d) Using closed-cell foam glass insulation

19.

Q9. API 571: CUI: mitigation

CUI conditions can be identified on an in-use lagged
storage tank using:
 (a) Neutron backscatter
 (b) X-ray fluorescence
 (c) Laser techniques
 (d) Phased array

20.

Q10. API 571: CUI: critical factors

Which of these can make storage tank CUI worse?
 (a) Elevated tank temperatures above 200 °C
 (b) Airborne contaminants
  (c) Sunshine
 (d) Low temperatures below 10 °C

21.

Q11. API 571: soil corrosion

What is the main parameter measured to assess the
corrosivity of the soil underneath a storage tank?
 (a) Acidity
 (b) Alkalinity
 (c) Density
 (d) Resistivity

22.

Q12. API 571: soil corrosion: appearance

What would you expect the result of soil corrosion to
look like?
 (a) Branched and dagger-shaped cracks
 (b) Isolated, large and deep individual pits
 (c) Straight cracks
 (d) External corrosion with wall thinning and pitting

23.

Q13. API 571: soil corrosion: protection

Which of these would be used to reduce the amount of
soil corrosion in a storage tank?
 (a) Caustic protection
 (b) Cathodic protection
 (c) Anodic protection
 (d) More post-weld heat treatment

24.

Q14. API 571: soil corrosion: critical factors

What effect does metal temperature have on the rate
of soil corrosion?
  (a) None
 (b) The corrosion rate increases with temperature
 (c) The corrosion rate decreases with temperature
 (d) There will be minimal soil corrosion below 0 °C

25.

Q15. API 571: soil corrosion: critical factors

Which of these areas would you expect to suffer the worst soil corrosion?

 (a) Soil-to-air interfaces

 (b) Any areas in contact with the soil of pH 7
 (c) Areas where the soil has recently been disturbed
 (d) Areas in contact with soil that has plants or moss growing in it

26.

4.9 API 571 practice questions (set 3).

Q1. API 571: MIC: description
MIC is caused by the corrosive effects of:
 (a) Living organisms
 (b) The degradation of organisms after they have died
 (c) Organisms reacting with sulfur
 (d) Organisms reacting with chlorides

27.

Q2. API 571: MIC: appearance

What does MIC typically look like?
 (a) Uniform wall thinning with a ‘sparkling’ corroded surface
 (b) Localized pitting under deposits
 (c) Smooth longitudinal grooving
 (d) A dry flaky appearance

28.

Q3. API 571: MIC: critical factors

Under what pH values does MIC occur?
 (a) Almost any pH 0–12
 (b) Mainly pH 1–6 (acidic)
 (c) Mainly pH 8–12 (alkaline)
 (d) Mainly pH 5–7
 29

Q4. API 571: MIC: critical factors

What is the maximum temperature under which you
would expect MIC to occur?
 (a) 60 °C
 (b) 113 °C
 (c) 175 °C
 (d) 250 °C

30

Q5. API 571: MIC: prevention

MIC is best controlled by:
 (a) Reducing flow velocities
 (b) Recirculating the system with water
 (c) Chemical dosing
 (d) Lagging the system to keep the temperature up

31

Q6. API 571: description of chloride SCC

Chloride SCC is also called (in API terminology):
 (a) Embrittlement cracking
 (b) Environmental cracking
 (c) Brittle fracture
 (d) Chevron cracking

32

Q7. API 571: SCC: affected materials

Chloride SCC is known to particularly attack what type
of tank construction material?
 (a) Low carbon steel
 (b) Low alloy steel
 (c) Austenitic stainless steels (300 series)
 (d) Older, low-grade steel (common in riveted tanks)
33

Q8. API 571: SCC: critical factors

What is the lower limit of chloride content at which
chloride SCC stops occurring?
 (a) There is no lower limit
 (b) 100 ppm
 (c) 10 ppm
 (d) 1 ppm

34

Q9. API 571: SCC: critical factors

What is the temperature above which chloride SCC
becomes more likely under chloride process
conditions?
 (a) Above 0 °F

 (b) Above 60 °F
 (c) Above 110 °F
 (d) Above 140 °F

35

Q10. API 571: chloride SCC: appearance

What kind of corrosion deposit is normally seen on
the surface of a material suffering from chloride SCC?
 (a) White powdery deposit
 (b) Small blisters or pits (may be hiding under the paint)
 (c) Iron oxide (rust)
 (d) None

36

Q11. API 571: chloride SCC: inspection

Which of these techniques is best able to find chloride
SCC?
  (a) RT (radiographic testing)
 (b) UT (ultrasonic testing)
 (c) PT (penetrant testing)
 (d) MT (magnetic testing)

37

Q12. API 571: chloride SCC: morphology

What shape are chloride SCC cracks?
 (a) Dagger-shaped
 (b) Fine and branching
 (c) Stepwise (like a series of steps)
 (d) Zigzag, starting from stress concentrations or sharp edges

38

Q13. API 571: caustic SCC

Caustic SCC in storage tanks is also called:
 (a) Acidic SCC
 (b) Caustic embrittlement
 (c) Caustic grooving
 (d) Caustic oxidation

39

Q14. API 571: caustic SCC location

Caustic SCC is particularly common around which locations in storage tanks?

 (a) Non-post-weld heat-treated welds

 (b) Post-weld heat-treated welds in thick section materials

 (c) Annular ring-to-bottom lap welds
 (d) Nozzle and manway welds
40

Q15. API 571: caustic SCC: critical factors

Caustic SCC can be caused at caustic concentrations
of:
 (a) Any concentration; there is no safe lower limit
 (b) 0.1–1 ppm caustic
 (c) 1–10 ppm caustic
 (d) 50–100 ppm caustic

41

Q16. API 571: caustic SCC: appearance

Caustic SCC cracks have a greater tendency to
propagate:
 (a) Parallel to a weld
 (b) Across a weld (transverse)
 (c) Along with the liquid-air interface in a storage tank
 (d) In a direction roughly at 45 degrees from the weld line

42

Q17. API 571: sulphuric acid corrosion: affected

materials
Which of these tank fittings construction materials
would be most resistant to sulphuric acid corrosion?
 (a) High silicon cast iron
 (b) 316 stainless steel
 (c) Low carbon steel
 (d) Carbon–manganese steel

43

Q18. API 571: sulphuric acid corrosion: critical factors

Which of these sulphuric acid conditions will result in
the worst corrosion of a tank construction material?
 (a) Low acid concentrations
 (b) High acid concentrations
  (c) High acid concentrations plus low flow velocity
 (d) High acid concentrations plus high flow velocity

44

Q19. API 571: sulphuric acid corrosion: prevention

Which of these actions will reduce the effect of
corrosion in a system susceptible to sulphuric acid
corrosion?
 (a) Washing with demineralized water
 (b) Washing with a caustic solution
 (c) Draining the system and drying it with warm air
 (d) Abrading the surface to remove the oxide film

45

Q20. API 571: sulphuric acid corrosion: affected

equipment
If a storage tank with trace heating contains a
sulphuric acid-rich product, where would you expect
the worst corrosion to occur?
 (a) The roof
 (b) The floor
 (c) Underneath the floor
 (d) Halfway up the shell

Q1 B Q24 B
Q2 C Q25 A
Q3 C Q26 A
Q4 A Q27 B
Q5 C Q28 A
Q6 B Q29 C
Q7 D Q30 C
Q8 A Q31 B
Q9 C Q32 C
Q10 B Q33 A
Q11 B Q34 D
Q12 B Q35 D
Q13 A Q36 C
Q14 B Q37 B
Q15 D Q38 B
Q16 B Q39 A
Q17 C Q40 D
Q18 D Q41 A
Q19 A Q42 A
Q20 B Q43 C
Q21 D Q44 B
Q22 D Q45 B
Q23 B