UNS N08034 – A HIGH-PERFORMANCE SOLUTION FOR CORROSIVE, HIGH-STRESS CONDITIONS (C2026-00223)

Philipp Hübner, Julia Botinha, Helena Alves, Michael Dodge, David Martelo

In for example the oil and gas industry and the petrochemical industry, different parts and components can be prone to Hydrogen Embrittlement (HE). This is a critical phenomenon, where the diffusion of atomic hydrogen into metallic materials severely diminishes ductility and load-bearing capacity, leading to premature brittle fracture. Challenges include the susceptibility of high-strength materials to aggressive environments, often exacerbated by cathodic protection systems in subsea environments. Especially high strength materials under heavy loads, such as bolts, need to be carefully selected. Finding materials with enhanced resistance to hydrogen absorption and cracking is paramount to ensure the long-term integrity, safety, and reliability of critical infrastructure, not only on already established applications, but especially as hydrogen gains traction as a clean energy carrier.
When in its cold-worked condition, UNS N08034, a bridging alloy between 6-Mo stainless steels and the highly alloyed nickel based alloys of the C-family, represents an optimum choice between mechanical strength, corrosion resistance and resistance against HE. In this paper, a variety of investigations using cold-worked UNS N08034 are to be displayed, proving that the material is extremely resistant even under very challenging conditions of the oil & gas as well as the petrochemical industry.