Effect of hydrogen environment on the mechanical properties of materials used for gas pipelines – POSTER

Jirková Hana - Výzkumný a zkušební ústav Plzeň s.r.o. (Czech Republic)

Burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, causing global warming and changes in climate conditions. Reducing climate impacts can be achieved by switching to carbon-free energy sources and hydrogen as a carbon-free energy carrier can be a key parameter. The use of a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen is a much discussed option. The use of this mixture in industry, e.g., as fuel for gas-fired power plants, would lead to a lower environmental impact by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Efficient and economically acceptable distribution of hydrogen is important. The best option is to transport the gas using existing pipeline systems. However, from an engineering point of view, hydrogen is known to degrade the mechanical properties of most structural metal materials, especially steel. The risk of hydrogen embrittlement is difficult to predict. It depends not only on the material and its processing, but also on the history of the material.
Samples from steels 13030 and 11373, which are used for natural gas distribution pipelines, were subjected to electrolytic hydrogenation in an H2SO4-based electrolyte for up to 12 hours. The effect of hydrogenation time on mechanical properties, especially notch toughness, and microstructural changes was investigated.

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