Toughness Testing for Investigating Hydrogen Embrittlement of Pipe Steels: Tests, Significance, and Limitations

This chapter reviews common laboratory toughness test methods to characterize hydrogen embrittlement effects, presents representative results, and comments on limitations of the methods. Fracture resistance properties appear to be vital for the safety of higher material utilization in hydrogen pipelines (i.e., high-design stresses per ASME B31.12 Option B); however, further developments of the existing test methods and standards are needed. This paper can serve as a discussion piece at the symposium of advanced manufacturing and materials to further develop materials qualification tests for the design of pipelines transporting pure hydrogen and hydrogen blends.