H2 Technology Training Course

Session 7: Materials of Construction

24th August 2023
 In this session, we will review

• The challenges of hydrogen with respect to materials selection

• Potential to reuse existing natural gas infrastructure for hydrogen
transportation
• Applicable industry codes and standards
Material Selection
 Damage Mechanisms to metals and alloys

• Hydrogen induced blistering

• Hydrogen embrittlement (HE)
• Cracking due to hydride formation
• Hydrogen attack
• Cracking due to precipitation of internal hydrogen

• Except for HE, a phase transformation is coupled to each of the

listed hydrogen damage process (ie., an aqueous phase to be
formed).
• HE is the highest risk.
Hydrogen absorption in metals exposed to a
gaseous hydrogen environment

• Thin oxide films reduce the

ability of hydrogen to dissociate
• Exposure to water, the
concentration of atomic
hydrogen increases
 Hydrogen Embrittlement
• Hydrogen embrittlement (HE) responsible for subcritical crack growth in
material, fracture initiation and catastrophic failure with subsequent loss in
mechanical properties such as ductility, toughness and strength
• Occurs when hydrogen diffuses along the grain boundaries and combines with
the carbon, which is alloyed with the iron, to form methane gas
• High-strength steels with tensile strength greater than about 145 ksi (1000 MPa)
are the alloys most vulnerable to hydrogen embrittlement
 How to know what material is susceptible?

• ASTM F1940 standard test

method for process
control verification to
prevent hydrogen
embrittlement in plated or
coated fasteners
• ASTM F519 standard test
method for mechanical
hydrogen embrittlement
evaluation of plating
processes and service
environments
 Prevention

• The material should be low strength and high resistance material for HE.
• Applying protective coating. Some coating techniques are vacuum
deposited coating, organic coating and some mechanical plating
Pipeline Design and Repurposing
 Codes and Standards

• Industrial users, such as producers of ammonia, have transported hydrogen gas in

pipelines for decades. However, standards are not yet fully developed for its
transportation more widely in gas infrastructure and in repurposed pipelines.
• The commonly cited design practices for hydrogen pipelines are based upon ASME
B31.12 standard (option B), however there is limited guidance available on use of
hydrogen in existing natural gas pipelines.
• There is limited experience managing hydrogen pipelines, so the possible long term
negative effects should not be underestimated. The repurposing process must in sure
that there is safe transportation of the gas in the future.
• Current industry standards governing the construction and operation of natural gas
pipelines provide limited guidance on the design and use of hydrogen in existing
pipelines. A summary of these existing codes can be seen on the next slides.
• It is essential to understand the knowledge gaps in these current standards and
guidelines, and where it will be necessary to follow a bespoke repurposing evaluation
process.
Codes and Standards
 Pipeline Design

• Typical pipeline engineering standards can be used

• DNVGL-OS-F101 – Classifies hydrogen as category E
• BS PD 8010
• ASME B31.12 is specifically for hydrogen pipelines, similar to ASME B31.8 but with an
additional knock-down factor:
• 1 for X52 at 140 bar
• 0.78 for X52 @ 210 bar
• Provides methodology for requalification of existing pipelines to hydrogen service
• Disclaimer: these are just general guidelines, proper material/mechanical engineering
should be made.
 Converting Pipelines from Natural Gas to Hydrogen
Service

• For almost all pipelines, natural gas can be blended with 20% hydrogen
• For higher concentrations, the material grade becomes important
• HE
• Cracking is more severe in high strength steel used for onshore transmission
• Crack growth can be inhibited by addition of up to 500 ppm-weight of oxygen.
• Conversion of existing natural gas pipelines to hydrogen requires revalidation of the
pipeline
• Depends on operational data, legal requirements and future service.
Some costs by IEA
 Valves

• Qualified according to ISO 14723/API 6DSS for offshore and ISO 14313/API 6D
for onshore as a minimum.
• Seals of the stem provide the tightness Class BH and Class BM as per ISO
15848-1. External leaking of the valve from body seals is not exceeding 50 ppmv
• Valve design calculations are confirmed via an independent verification body.
• Valve ends are welded instead of flanged where possible.
• Testing of RGD of elastomers and soft parts
 Plastic / non-metallic pipelines
• Danish Gas Transportation and Distribution Research (FORCE) has found that plastics
such as PE 80 and PE 100 are suitable for use in hydrogen transportation.
• While traditional plastic piping (common in the U.S) is often considered suitable for
hydrogen accommodation at distribution network pressures, research has shown that
hydrogen can impact the physical properties, such as density and degree of
crystallinity, of polyethylene materials. More research is necessary to quantify the
effect of these changes on mechanical performance and lifetime of polymer pipes
and pipe joints, along with the effects of hydrogen on specific resin formulations.
• There is growing interest in fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) pipelines. FRP pipelines
have the advantage that multiple, small-diameter lines can be installed together; the
small diameter allows operation at higher pressure than large diameter pipelines and
the multiple lines further increase the volume that can be transported.
• The ASME B31.12 committee is actively considering FRP for hydrogen piping and
pipelines. Current pipeline life expectancy is 20 years, although there is interest in
extending design life to 50 years.
• Pipes based on thermoplastic composites such as Reinforced Thermoplastic Pipes
(RTP) and Thermoplastic Composite Pipes (TCP) could offer some alternative, but
they are unproven for H2 service.
• No guidelines except DNV-ST-F119 and API 15S
 Material selection for cryogenic applications

• Carbon Steel with nickel to resist cryogenic conditions.

• Embrittlement of sealing materials is also an important concern since most

elastomers are not suitable for cryogenic service

• Disclaimer: these are just general guidelines, proper material/mechanical

engineering should be made.
 Codes and Standard for Tanks

• The specific requirements vary by geography. Typical norms and regulations that
apply to hydrogen tanks (Type I-IV)
• ADR: International regulation for transport of dangerous goods
• DIN EN 12245: Transportable Gas Cylinder
• ISO 11119-3: Transportable Gas Cylinder
• EC 79: Fuel Tanks
• UNR134: Fuel Tanks

• Examples of test that are done to hydrogen tanks are:

• Burst test
• Fatigue test
• Bonfire test
• Bullet tests
• Drop test
• Ambient temperature cycle tests
 Other Hydrogen standards

• Hydrogen Technologies
• ISO 13985
• ISO/TS 20100
• ISO/TS 14687-2
• ISO 22734
Lack of Codes and Standards / incorporation
• Electrolysers and ratification have been identified as a major
• ISO 22734-1 institutional barrier to deploying hydrogen
• Fuel Cells technologies.
• IEC/TC 62282-2
• IEC 62282-3-100/200/300 International standards and codes will be
• IEC 62282-4-101/102 adopted, and adapted where appropriate
• IEC 62282-5-1
• Equipment for Explosive
Atmospheres
• IEC 60079-29-1/2
 Further reading and study material
• Louthan, 2008, Hydrogen Embrittlement of Metals: A Primer for the Failure Analyst,
Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention, 8, 289-307.
• Dwivedi et al., 2018, Hydrogen embrittlement in different materials: A review,
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 43, 46, 21603-21616.
• Li et al., 2022, Hydrogen in pipeline steels: Recent advances in characterization and
embrittlement mitigation, Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 105,
104709.
• Thebault et al., 2022, Hydrogen Stress Cracking Resistance of Seamless Pipes for
Hydrogen Storage and Transport Applications, ADIPEC, SPE-211275-MS
• Ronevich et al., 2021, Materials compatibility concerns for hydrogen blended into
natural gas, ASME Pressure Vessels a& Piping Conference, PVP2021-62045
• Kurtulan et al., 2023, Valves in Hydrogen Gas Transport: The Challenges of the
Energy Transition, AMPP Annual Conference + Expo, AMPP-2023-19525
Thank You

Eduardo Luna-Ortiz
eduardo@paceccs.com