Hydrogen effects on structural performance of metals: bridging science and engineering

Abstract

Green hydrogen has a strong potential to become a central pillar of the energy transformation required to limit global warming. Incorporation of hydrogen into the energy production system will also help balance renewable electricity supply and demand and serve as long-term seasonal storage. Consequently, this increasing demand for using hydrogen as a widespread energy carrier will drastically spur a flurry of R&D efforts covering from hydrogen production and infrastructure to end-use applications. However, one of the key challenges facing a hydrogen-based economy is the assurance of more reliable and fail-safe operations of the infrastructure for production and transportation, including hydrogen storage and transportation by high pressure pipelines. While current high strength pipeline steels (for example, API X70 and X80 grade steels) have a long history record of proven performance under normal in-service operations, they are extremely susceptible to material degradation by the presence of hydrogen as an external gas. This research focuses on addressing the critical issues associated with accurate hydrogen embrittlement assessments in metallic materials and, more specifically, development of a robust and effective engineering methodology to assess and predict the remaining fracture resistance of high-strength steels and Ni-based alloys affected by hydrogen-induced embrittlement. The foundations for this research proposal were launched during collaboration-building projects between Prof. Diego. F. B. Sarzoza (co-principal investigator ofthe Fracture Mechanics and Structural Integrity Research Group, NAMEF, of the Engineering School at University of São Paulo - Polytechnic School) and Prof. Marcelo Paredes (Department of Ocean Engineering, Texas A&M). Industry workshops organized by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) also helped to identifyhydrogen assisted cracking (HAC) as one of the most critical engineering problems in the infrastructure for hydrogen storage and transportation by high pressure pipelines. (AU)