API 571 – Practice Questions

1) If alloy steels have undergone “temper embrittlement”, the appropriate testing to confirm the
same is:

a) Hardness testing
b) Impact testing
c) Ductility testing
d) Tensile strength testing

2) Common way to minimize temper embrittlement is to limit

a) ‘J’ factor for weld metal.

b) ‘X’ factor for base metal.
c) ‘J’ factor for base & ‘X’ factor for weld metal.
d) ‘X’ factor for base & ‘J’ factor for weld metal

3) Reduction in likelihood of brittle fracture can be obtained by performing

a) Impact testing
b) Hydrostatic testing
c) PWHT
d) Pneumatic testing

4) Thermal fatigue cracks propagate transverse to the stress and usually are:

a) Branching, Transgranular and initiate from within the material.

b) Dagger shaped, intergranular and initiate form within the material.
c) Dagger shaped, oxide filled and initiate from the surface.
d) Dagger shaped, clean and intergranular.

5) Erosion/Corrosion mitigation can be achieved by

a) Increasing the pipe diameter to decrease velocity

b) Increasing surface hardness by using harder alloys or hard facing
c) Using corrosion resistant alloys
d) All of the above.

6) “Clam shell” type fingerprint having concentric rings called “beach marks” showing waves of
crack propagating from the crack initiation site is typically _______________.

a) Mechanical fatigue cracks.

b) Thermal fatigue cracks.
c) Stress corrosion cracks.
d) Hydrogen induced cracks.

7) Resistance to sulfidation is generally achieved by

a) Upgrading to higher nickel alloys

b) Upgrading to higher chromium alloys
c) Upgrading to higher copper based alloys
d) All of the above.

8) Characteristic SCC in Austenitic S.S. generally will be

a) Transgranular, branching and aggravated by higher temperature

b) Intergranular and unidirectional (straight) and aggravated by increasing temperature
c) Independent of chloride content
Chapter 3 – API 571 Q+A (2019) 1
 d) None of the above

9) Identify the correct statement (s)

a) SSC is aggravated due to wet H2S

b) Hydrogen blistering may occur on I.D, O.D, or anywhere within wall thickness of the
pressure vessel.
c) High hardness & High strength steels are more likely to undergo damage due to wet H2S
compared to low strength/ low hardness steels
d) All of the above are correct statements

10) High temperature hydrogen attack is typically due to

a) Methane gas formation.

b) Wet H2S formation
c) Temper embrittlement
d) Presence of Molybdenum in alloy steels.

11) A typical soil corrosion is aggravated under which of the following conditions

a) High moisture content and high resistivity of soil.

b) High moisture content and low resistivity of soil.
c) Low moisture content and high resistivity of soil.
d) Low moisture content and low resistivity of soil.

12) Typical “high cycle fatigue” is:

a) Thermal fatigue.
b) Mechanical fatigue.
c) Vibration fatigue.
d) Both a and b.

13) Caustic embrittlement may be reduced/prevented by::

a) Conducting PWHT.
b) Upgrading to Nickel alloys.
c) Using High hardness & High strength steels.
d) Both a and b.

14) The most effective way of preventing CUI on a piping system.

a) Remove insulation that is not mandatory required by the process

b) Applying coating between insulation/steel surfaces
c) Applying insulation without coating on steel surface
d) Applying coating on steel surface.

15) Atmospheric corrosion accelerated by __________

a) Temperature exceeds boiling point

b) High oxygen content
c) Fly ash
d) Low dew point temperature

16) Which of the followings most susceptible to chloride SCC.

a) Non-stress relieved type 304 stainless steel

b) 35% Ni-alloy steels
c) Stress relieved carbon steels
d) Temperature below 60 oC
Chapter 3 – API 571 Q+A (2019) 2
17) Caustic embrittlement can be effectively prevented by means of _______________

a) PWHT at 1150 oF for carbon steel piping after welding

b) Steam out of non-stress relieved carbon steels
c) Keeping caustic concentration between 50-100 ppm
d) Maintain residual stress at yield level

18) Brittle fracture can occur when the combination of 3 critical factors are reached:

a) Stress concentration, residual stress and material fracture toughness

b) Critical temperature, residual stress and material impact strength
c) Freezing temperature, Charpy-V value and stress concentration
d) Low temperature, fracture toughness and residual stress

19) Estimated rate of sulfidation corrosion for a crude handing equipment due to sulfur content of
0.5% (by weight) at 600 oF is 10 mpy. What will be the corrosion rate if sulfur content is 1.0% by
weight?

a) 10 mpy approximately
b) 12 mpy approximately
c) 15 mpy approximately
d) 20 mpy approximately

20) Suggest suitable construction materials for caustic service having 40% NaOH concentration (by
weight) operating at 240 oF

a) Carbon steel with PWHT

b) Carbon Steel, but PWHT is not required
c) Carbon steels with quenched and tempering treatment
d) Consider Use of Nickel alloys.

21) To avoid HTHA, suggest suitable materials of construction for hydrogen service with partial
pressure of hydrogen = 1500 psi, and temperature = 800 oF

a) Carbon steel
b) 1.25 Cr – 0.5 Mo
c) 2.25 Cr – 1 Mo
d) 1 Cr – 0.5 Mo

22) 22. CUI Damage is aggravated by contaminants that may be leached out of the insulation, such
as ___________.

a) Chlorides
b) Fluorides
c) Hydroxides and nitrous oxide.
d) Cyanides and hydrogen oxide.

23) Atmospheric corrosion affects _____________________________.

a) Carbon steel, low alloy steels and copper alloyed nickel.

b) Carbon steel, low alloy steels and copper alloyed aluminum
c) Molybdenum alloys, carbon steel and copper alloyed aluminum
d) Carbon steels only

24) Corrosion in boiler feed water and condensate return system is usually the result of dissolved
gases, oxygen and carbon dioxide. Critical factors are the concentration of dissolved gas
(oxygen and carbon dioxide), ________, quality of the feed water and the specific feed water
treating system.
Chapter 3 – API 571 Q+A (2019) 3
 a) Mercaptans present
b) Organic sulfur compounds present
c) pH, temperature
d) temperature and H2 present

25) Blistering, HIC, and SOHIC damage have been found to occur between __________

a) above 650 oF or higher

b) ambient and below 650 oF
c) ambient and 450 oF or higher
d) ambient and 300 oF or higher

26) You are inspecting a failure in a pipe wall, what conditions would you look for if it was believed
that the fracture was brittle?

a) There is ductility exhibited in the fracture.

b) The fractured surfaces have chevrons.
c) The surface of the crack would have severe cupping.
d) The material exhibits little or no evidence of ductility or plastic deformation

27) Thicker material sections also have a lower resistance to brittle fracture due to higher constraint
which increases ______stresses at the crack tip.

a) biaxial.
b) triaxial
c) coaxial.
d) penaxial.

28) Startup and shutdown of equipment increase the susceptibility to thermal fatigue. There is no
set limit on temperature swings; however, as a practical rule, _____may be suspected if the
temperature swing exceeds about 200°F.

a) cracking
b) Nitriding
c) hydrogen cracking
d) carburization

29) Susceptibility of an alloy to Sulfidation is determined by its ability ________.

a) to form internal carbonate layers

b) to form protective corrosive scale
c) to form insulating barriers
d) to form protective sulfide scales

30) When considering cooling water corrosion, _______ can promote increased corrosion.

a) low velocities
b) high velocities
c) low temperatures
d) very low temperatures

Chapter 3 – API 571 Q+A (2019) 4

 Answer Key

Reference
1 b API 571 – 4.2.3.5
2 c API 571 – 4.2.3.6
3 c API 571 – 4.2.7.6
4 c API 571 – 4.2.9.5
5 a API 571 – 4.2.14.6
6 a API 571 – 4.2.16.5
7 b API 571 – 4.4.2.6
8 a API 571 – 4.5.1.3 & 5
9 d API 571 – 5.1.2.3
10 a API 571 – 5.1.3.1
11 b API 571 – 4.3.9.3
12 c API 571 – 4.2.1.6
13 d API 571 – 4.5.3.6
14 a API 571 – 4.3.3.6
15 c API 571 – 4.3.2.3
16 a API 571 – 4.5.1.2
17 a API 571 – 4.5.3.6
18 a API 571 – 4.2.7.3
19 b API 571 – 4.4.2.3 Fig 4-115
20 d API 571 – 4.5.3.3 Fig 4-146
21 c API 571 – 5.1.3.1 Fig 4-55
22 a API 571 – 4.3.3.3
23 b API 571 – 4.3.2.2
24 c API 571 – 4.3.5.3
25 d API 571 – 5.1.2.3.3
26 d API 571 – 4.2.7.1
27 b API 571 – 4.2.7.3
28 a API 571 – 4.2.9.3
29 d API 571 – 4.4.2.3
30 a API 571 – 4.3.4.3

Chapter 3 – API 571 Q+A (2019) 5