Current practical measures for cracking failures of high pressure equipment in aqueous environments containing hydrogen sulfide

摘要

Low temperature hydrogen damage of carbon and micro alloyed steels can occur in aqueous environments containing hydrogen sulfide which are commonly observed in petroleum refineries and in oil and gas transportation pipelines. These damage mechanisms have been reported to include sulfide stress cracking (SSC), hydrogen induced cracking (HIC), and stress oriented hydrogen - induced cracking (SOHIC). In addition, stress corrosion cracking of carbon steel weldments has been identified in amine units to remove acid components such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide from gas and liquid hydrocarbon stream in gas processing plants, refineries, and petrochemical plants. In this report, published information on the past experiences of hydrogen damage of carbon and micro - alloyed steels in aqueous environments containing hydrogen sulfide has been reviewed. As a result, it is revealed that a potential risk for occurrence of the damage in newly fabricated equipment has been significantly degreased owing to the steel making practice to produce highly purified and very clean steel products. Furthermore, it is highlighted that a lot of technical standards providing guidelines to mitigate the damage have been established for new fabrication as well as existing equipment in the last decade.