Session: Gaseous Hydrogen Embrittlement (Part II of II)
Evaluation of Hydrogen Embrittlement Susceptibility in Pipeline Steel Welds (C2026-00316)
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
1:00 PM - 1:30 PM Central
Location: 381 AB
Earn .5 PDH
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Slow strain rate, fatigue crack growth rate, and fracture toughness (respectively SSRT, FCGR, and FT) tests in high pressure gaseous hydrogen are used in evaluating hydrogen embrittlement (HE) susceptibility of pipelines steels welds. The applicability of these tests to pipeline service conditions in stress-based design (below YS) or up to 5% strain in strain-based design is limited. SSRT demonstrates effects of HE at loading above UTS. FCGR and FT tests quantify resistance to propagation of existing cracks but cannot characterize susceptibility to HE crack nucleation. We present HE susceptibility results generated usingthe delayed hydrogen cracking test (DHCT), standardized as AMPP TM21453-2023. DHCT applies a constant tensile load below or slightly above the material YS on flat gauge section specimens subjected to electrolytic charging with hydrogen. HE susceptibility is quantified by the time to failure and the mechanical energy for crack nucleation and growth to critical size. The paper draws a parallel between the HE phenomena introduced by the SSRT, FCGR, FT tests and DHCT, in terms of hydrogen absorption and transportation effects on the crack nucleation and propagation mechanisms. The mechanical energy introduced by these tests and the resulting failure mechanisms and fracture morphologies are compared and discussed.
