Hydrogen Induced Cracking Test

Hydrogen Induced Cracking Test - HIC Test

Mohammad AB

Senior Technical Inspector / Project Manager / Quality Surveyor & Expeditor

30 articles Following
November 5, 2017
HIC stands for hydrogen-induced cracking; it is related to hydrogen blistering. NACE

MR01-75/ASTM G193 includes the following description of hydrogen blistering:
”The formation of subsurface planar cavities, called hydrogen blisters, in a metal resulting
from excessive internal hydrogen pressure. Growth of near-surface blisters in low-strength
metals usually results in surface bulges.”
Hydrogen blistering occurs most often in carbon steels in wet H2S environments (i.e.,
applications in which water and hydrogen sulfide co-exist). Corrosion in this type of
environment tends to charge the steel with monatomic hydrogen. When the small
monatomic hydrogen atoms combine at a discontinuity in the steel, they form larger
diatomic hydrogen (H2), which is then too large to diffuse through the steel. As more
and more monatomic hydrogen atoms combine to form diatomic hydrogen at
discontinuities, the pressure in the discontinuities builds until blisters form.
In formed steels, blistering can result in the formation of planar cracks running along the
rolling direction of the steel and parallel to the surface. Cracks on one plane can link up
with cracks on adjacent planes to form steps, which can eventually reduce the effective
wall thickness until the component becomes over-stressed and ruptures.
This phenomenon has been known by many different names over the years, including
stepwise cracking, hydrogen pressure cracking, blister cracking and hydrogen-induced
stepwise cracking. NACE and ASTM have standardized on the name “hydrogen-induced
cracking” for this phenomenon in NACE/ASTM G193, defining it as:
“Stepwise internal cracks that connect adjacent hydrogen blisters on different planes in
the metal, or to the metal surface.”
Both hydrogen blistering and HIC are encountered most often in plate and in rolled and
welded pipe made from plate. These items exhibit a flat, planar grain structure and often
contain large, planar sulfide inclusion, which helps to promote the blistering and
cracking mechanism. HIC has also been reported in other forms (welding fittings,
seamless pipe and forgings), although it occurs much less frequently in those material
forms.3
A number of methods are used to try to mitigate hydrogen blistering and HIC. First and
foremost is the use of “killed” steels, i.e., steels that are deoxidized with silicon,
aluminum or some other strong, oxide-forming element to prevent internal porosity in
the poured ingot. Porosity in an ingot can remain as internal voids in finished products,
and those internal voids are prime locations for the formation of hydrogen blisters.
The next level of mitigation is the use of so-called “clean steels.” Clean steels contain
very low concentrations of sulfur (and usually phosphorus). This results in very low
concentrations of non-metallic inclusions in the steel, which can also serve as sites for
blister formation.
In addition to reduced sulfur contents, calcium or certain rare earth elements can be
added to steels to control the shape of sulfide inclusions. The resulting spheroidal
inclusions provide better resistance to blistering and HIC than the normal elongated
(and flat, in the case of plate) inclusions.
When a customer imposes HIC testing, it usually means that testing must be performed
in accordance with NACE TM02842. This standard outlines:
1. The test solution (A)

Solution A: 50g of NaCl and 5g of CH3COOH shall be dissolved in each 945g of distilled
or demonized water. The ratio of the volume of test solution to the total surface area of
the test specimens shall be a minimum of 3 ml per cm2. The solution will be desecrated
by bubbling argon or nitrogen (100cc / liter / min) for 1 hour.
2. The testing apparatus

3. The size, shape and location of test specimens
4. The testing procedure

5. Evaluation of test specimens, and
6. Reporting of results.
The sections were examined for stepwise cracking and the crack length ratio (CLR), crack
thickness ratio (CTR) and crack sensitivity (CSR) for each section of specimen were
calculated. As per test requirement as per NACE MR0175/ISO 15156:
CLR: 15% Max/Equal, CTR: 5% Max/Equal, CSR: 2% Max/Equal
Sectioning and preparation of test specimens is rather time consuming. Once the test is
in progress, it runs for 96 hours. After completion of the 96-hour exposure, further
sectioning is performed on each specimen, followed by metallographic polishing,
etching and examination at 100X magnification. All cracks are then measured for length
and thickness as defined in the test method. In other words, this is a very labor-
intensive, expensive test.
Now for the good news. HIC does not occur in castings, regardless of the material.
Therefore, it is inapplicable to cast valve bodies. The current version of TM0284 does not
specifically mention piping fittings or forgings, but the revision currently in progress
includes coverage of piping fittings, plate or forged blind flanges, and forged weld-neck
flanges.
HIC does not occur in austenitic and duplex stainless steels, nickel alloys and copper
alloys. In addition, none of the standards relating to HIC mention its occurrence in alloy
steels or martensitic stainless steels.
In other words, HIC testing rarely applies to valves. The few exceptions would be:
 Butterfly valve bodies made from carbon steel plate

 Large, fabricated valves made from carbon steel piping fittings
 Carbon steel weld-neck flanges welded to valve bodies
It’s up in the air whether flanged bonnets made from carbon steel forgings need to be
tested. Forged bonnets typically have “necks” much more “significant” than the necks in
a forged weld-neck flange and would exhibit quite different metallurgical “texture” than
a weld-neck flange. I am not aware of any reported HIC failures in forged valve bonnets.
Note that proposed revision of NACE TM0284 only covers testing of blind flanges and
weld-neck flanges. It does not cover forgings in general.
Many end-users and engineering, procurement and construction contractors

systematically group valves under “piping” for material selection and specification
purposes. Because of this, the requirement to perform HIC testing on valve materials
often occurs as a result of a general piping specification being “extended” to cover
valves. When this happens, the valve manufacturer needs to bring the situation to the
purchaser’s attention to avoid unnecessary testing and the associated expense and
delivery delays.
Another Definitions - What is hydrogen induced cracking?
Refer NACE Standard TM0284 All the test apparatus are manufactured to provide
interchangeable connections and fittings. It complies with requirements of TM0284.
Purpose of HIC test procedure is to study hydrogen induced cracking mechanism. HIC
test apparatus is suitable to use NACE TM0284 specified Solution A or Solution B.
Solution A is acidified brine. Solution B is simulated seawater prepared in accordance
with ASTM D1141. In either case, H2S is bubbled through the solution constantly
throughout the test period. NACE TM0284 specifies test duration of 96 hours. The test
requires evaluation of pH values of the test solution before exposure and after the
exposure. HIC test specimens are cut into sections and examined under a microscope
for hydrogen-induced corrosion cracks. The dimensions of any such cracks are recorded
and used to compute the values in percentage for Crack Length Ratio (CLR), Crack
Thickness Ratio (CTR) and Crack Sensitivity Ratio (CSR) as per the NACE Standard. We
are also able to provide spares, HIC test procedures of all the items within shortest time.
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Hydrogen Induced Cracking Test - HIC Test

Senior Technical Inspector / Project Manager / Quality Surveyor & Expeditor

HIC stands for hydrogen-induced cracking; it is related to hydrogen blistering. NACE

1. The test solution (A)

2. The testing apparatus

4. The testing procedure

CLR: 15% Max/Equal, CTR: 5% Max/Equal, CSR: 2% Max/Equal

 Butterfly valve bodies made from carbon steel plate

Many end-users and engineering, procurement and construction contractors

Another Definitions - What is hydrogen induced cracking?

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