HIC test that suits the material

Because the deposits of "clean" natural gas are being depleted, in the future more natural gas containing hydrogen sulphide (sour gas) will also be extracted. There is consequently an increased focus on testing pipe and pressurized tank steels for their HIC resistance (= Hydrogen Induced Corrosion). In the Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH chemical laboratories, this special test of sour-gas-resistant steels is conducted in accordance with the relevant standards. Three different test procedures are possible:

For the standard HIC test, test specimens with a precisely defined geometric shape are cleaned and placed into a plastic pool. After the addition of an oxygen-free solution containing 5% NaCl and 0.5 % vinegar, this solution is saturated with hydrogen sulfide (=sour gas solution). After 96 hours, the samples are removed, cleaned and checked for cracking by means of ultrasound or metallographic sections. The testing capacity is currently around 150 samples a week.

In the SSC tensile test (SSC = sulfide stress cracking), cleaned, round tensile members (Ø 6.35 mm) are clamped into a test cell and exposed to tensile stress in a sour gas solution. After 720 hours, the samples are removed and checked for cracking. Up to 12 samples can be simultaneously tested in a month.

In the SSC 4-point bending test, steel samples in clamps are exposed to a defined bending stress in a pool with a sour gas solution for 720 hours. The possible number of samples here in a month is around 14 sets of samples with 3 units with available clamps.
This range of tests makes it possible to cover the requirements to characterize sour-gas-resistant steels.  

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