Hydrogen effects on X80 pipeline steel in high-pressure natural gas/hydrogen mixtures

Blending hydrogen into existing natural gas pipelines has been proposed as a means of increasing the output of renewable energy systems such as large wind farms. X80 pipeline steel is commonly used for transporting natural gas and such steel is subjected to concurrent hydrogen invasion with mechanical loading while being exposed to hydrogen containing environments directly, resulting in hydrogen embrittlement (HE). In accordance with American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards, the mechanical properties of X80 pipeline steel have been tested in natural gas/hydrogen mixtures with 0, 5.0, 10.0, 20.0 and 50.0vol% hydrogen at the pressure of 12 MPa. Results indicate that X80 pipeline steel is susceptible to hydrogen-induced embrittlement in natural gas/hydrogen mixtures and the HE susceptibility increases with the hydrogen partial pressure. Additionally, the HE susceptibility depends on the textured microstructure caused by hot rolling, especially for the notch specimen. The design calculation by the measured fatigue data reveals that the fatigue life of the X80 steel pipeline is dramatically degraded by the added hydrogen.