Investigation of hydrogen embrittlement of an API 5 L X52 pipeline through potentiostatic charging
Source abstract
Abstract
ABSTRACT The evolving global energy landscape, shaped by climate change and geopolitical challenges, accelerates the shift to renewable sources. Hydrogen is a promising energy carrier for retrofitting Europe’s gas pipeline infrastructure at low cost. However, the susceptibility of steel pipelines to hydrogen embrittlement (HE) poses significant safety risks. This study presents a novel in situ methodology combining potentiostatic electrochemical charging and mechanical testing to investigate HE in vintage API 5 L X52 pipeline steel. The effects of electrolyte acidity, applied potential, and hydrogen recombination suppression were systematically explored and related to the absorption of ~1 ppm of hydrogen simulating the critical operating condition in pipelines. This led to a sharp drop in ductility and transition to mixed-mode fracture with a brittle fracture evolving radially in the outer layer and progressing to a ductile core. Additionally, the role of MnS inclusions was confirmed not only as crack initiators but also as crack propagators, even under moderate hydrogen levels. These findings provide new insight into the interplay between microstructure, electrochemical parameters, and embrittlement behavior, with implications for the safe integration of hydrogen into legacy steel networks.
Source: openalex_inverted_index · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Hydrogen embrittlement and corrosion behaviors in metals · Nuclear Materials and Properties · Corrosion Behavior and Inhibition
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
References (45)
Show source-provided references
1. II. On some remarkable changes produced in iron and steel by the action of hydrogen and acids, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, vol. 23, no. 156–163, pp. 168–179, Dec. 1875, doi: 10.1098/RSPL.1874.0024.10.1098/rspl.1874.0024 ↗
2. Hydrogen interactions with defects in crystalline solids10.1103/RevModPhys.64.559 ↗
3. On the mechanism of hydrogen-environment embrittlement of iron- and nickel-base alloys10.1016/0025-5416(70)90039-X ↗
4. The hydrogen embrittlement of metals10.1016/0079-6425(61)90005-6 ↗
5. Whitney award Lecture—1987: Hydrogen—The versatile embrittler10.5006/1.3583875 ↗
6. Behavior of hydrogen in steel during and after immersion in acid10.5006/0010-9312-5.1.1 ↗
7. Hydrogen induced cracking (Hic) - laboratory testing assessment of low alloy steel linepipe, mar. 16, 2008
8. UNICEN/IR 17797, Infrastrutture del gas - Conseguenze dell’immissione di idrogeno nelle reti gas e identificazione delle relative esigenze di normazione nell’ambito del CEN/TC 234. 2022.
9. Investigations of temperature effects on hydrogen diffusion and hydrogen embrittlement of X80 pipeline steel under electrochemical hydrogen charging environment10.1016/j.corsci.2023.111460 ↗
10. Comparative investigation of electrolytic hydrogenation of pipe assortment steel under cathodic polarization10.1016/j.ijhydene.2023.06.316 ↗
11. Investigation of hydrogen concentration and hydrogen damage on API X80 steel surface under cathodic overprotection10.1016/j.ijhydene.2017.10.116 ↗
12. Hydrogen dissociation poisons and hydrogen embrittlement10.1016/0036-9748(76)90203-9 ↗
13. Dependence of the abnormal protective property on the corrosion product film formed on H2S-adjacent API-X52 pipeline steel10.1016/j.ijhydene.2014.04.077 ↗
14. The effect of the partial pressure of H2S on the permeation of hydrogen in low carbon pipeline steel10.1016/j.corsci.2012.10.016 ↗
15. Reversible hydrogen trapping in a 3.5NiCrMoV medium strength steel10.1016/j.corsci.2015.04.011 ↗
16. Experimental comparison of gaseous and electrochemical hydrogen charging in X65 pipeline steel using the permeation technique10.1016/j.corsci.2023.111025 ↗
17. Determination of the hydrogen fugacity during electrolytic charging of steel10.1016/j.corsci.2014.06.033 ↗
18. Permeability, solubility and diffusivity of hydrogen isotopes in stainless steels at high gas pressures10.1016/j.ijhydene.2006.05.008 ↗
19. Electrochemical studies of hydrogen diffusion and permeability in ni10.1016/0010-938X(80)90102-X ↗
20. Hydrogen-induced stress corrosion cracking studied by the novel tuning-fork test method10.1002/maco.202011767 ↗
21. Development of an experimental setup for testing X52 steel SENT specimens in electrolytic hydrogen to explore repurposing potential of pipelines10.1016/j.ijpvp.2025.105527 ↗
22. Hydrogen diffusion and trapping in metals
23. Effect of deformation and charging conditions on crack and blister formation during electrochemical hydrogen charging10.1016/j.actamat.2017.01.013 ↗
24. Hydrogen transport conditions and effects in cathodically polarized AF1410 steel10.1007/s11661-007-9241-3 ↗
25. 22 cr 5 ni duplex and 25 cr 7 ni superduplex stainless steel: hydrogen influence on fatigue crack propagation resistance10.1016/j.engfracmech.2007.01.008 ↗
26. Internal and surface damage of multiphase steels and pure iron after electrochemical hydrogen charging10.1016/j.corsci.2011.05.060 ↗
27. Effects of internal hydrogen and surface-absorbed hydrogen on the hydrogen embrittlement of X80 pipeline steel10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.04.239 ↗
28. Experimental determination of equivalent hydrogen gas pressure from electrochemical hydrogen charging10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.02.117 ↗
29. Role of hydrides in hydrogen entry into steel from solutions containing promoters10.1016/S0010-938X(69)80117-4 ↗
30. Comparative study of embrittlement of quenched and tempered steels in hydrogen environments10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.03.203 ↗
31. In-situ hollow sample setup design for mechanical characterisation of gaseous hydrogen embrittlement of pipeline steels and welds10.3390/met11081242 ↗
32. Effects of grain size and dislocation density on the susceptibility to high-pressure hydrogen environment embrittlement of high-strength low-alloy steels10.1016/j.ijhydene.2011.10.099 ↗
33. Pearlite-driven surface-cracking and associated loss of tensile ductility in plain-carbon steels under exposure to high-pressure gaseous hydrogen10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.11.137 ↗
34. T. Hickel, L. Duprez, H. Hänninen, R. Thiessen, and K. Mraczek, Hydrogen Sensitivity of Different Advanced High Strength Microstructures (HYDRAMICROS), 2011. Accessed: Mar. 18, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://research.aalto.fi/en/publications/hydrogen-sensitivity-of-different-advanced-high-strength-microstr.
35. Hydrogen solubility and diffusion in austenitic stainless steels studied with thermal desorption spectroscopy10.1002/srin.201000227 ↗
36. A novel approach for estimating hydrogen uptake and diffusion coefficient10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.02.400 ↗
37. The influence of an oxide layer on hydrogen permeation through steel10.1016/0010-938X(96)00045-5 ↗
38. Changes in hydrogen entry rate and in surface of iron during cathodic polarisation in alkaline solutions10.1016/S0013-4686(99)00168-1 ↗
39. Influence of electrochemical hydrogenation parameters on microstructures prone to hydrogen-induced cracking10.1016/j.jngse.2022.104533 ↗
40. Effect of grain size on the resistance to hydrogen embrittlement of API 2W grade 60 steels using in situ slow-strain-rate testing10.1016/j.corsci.2017.08.032 ↗
41. Laureys · 2022
42. Hydrogen related degradation in pipeline steel: a review10.1016/j.ijhydene.2018.06.064 ↗
43. Study on the influence of microstructural defects of API 5L-B, X52, and X52QS pipeline steels on fracture toughness degradation under in-situ hydrogen environment10.1016/j.jmrt.2025.07.007 ↗
44. Effect of tempering temperature and inclusions on hydrogen-assisted fracture behaviors of a low alloy steel10.1016/j.msea.2016.11.064 ↗
45. Djukic · 2019