Long term behaviour of polymeric liner materials/coatings in hydrogen service

In this section

Back to Core Research Programme AMorph – 4D Printing for Field Morphing Structures Automation of Composite and Hybrid Joining Process Coaxial Wire Additive Manufacturing Processes and In-Line Monitoring Tools Development of Coded Excitation Technique for Non-Metallic Pipes Inspection Development of Digital Twin technology as a demonstrator for real-time integrity assessment of crack growth in tensile specimens Development of Friction Stir Welding (FSW) for Hydrogen Fuel Storage Tanks Development of Leak-Before-Break Hydrogen Storage Composite Pressure Vessels With Polymeric Liner Establishing Assessment Methods for Determining Safe Service Limits of High-Temperature Materials in Extreme Environments Fracture toughness in aggressive environments: effect of crack monitoring techniques on test results In-process detection and non-destructive testing of electron beam weld imperfections Internal Bore Coatings for Applications in Corrosion and Hydrogen Environment Joining of Additively Manufactured Materials Long term behaviour of polymeric liner materials/coatings in hydrogen service Techniques for High Temperature Ultrasonic Inspection of Arc Welding Ultimate Leverage Fund

Project Code: 35255

Start date and planned duration: January 2023, 29 months

Objectives

Conduct a comprehensive literature survey and produce a detailed review on the materials challenges relating to existing infrastructure. This review will identify the potential benefits of using coating and liners to reduce the amount of adsorbed hydrogen at the steel surface and the challenges associated with their implementation.

Develop test procedures for evaluation of coatings and liner materials on exposure to hydrogen service conditions as well as their ability to limit hydrogen permeation and ageing/degradation.

Characterise a number of selected materials pre and post-exposure to selected testing program to evaluate their performance and determine best performing coatings/liners.

Understand the effect of hydrogen service conditions on material properties (micro/macro-structure, strength, yield, thermal properties).

Project Outline

One of the most promising approaches to decarbonisation is the transition from fossil fuel based energy generation to the hydrogen economy. The mainstream adoption of hydrogen as an energy carrier will require new networks and storage, as well as integration into the existing gas and electricity networks. Building a dedicated hydrogen infrastructure is associated with significant capital costs and investment. Therefore, blending hydrogen with natural gas or complete repurposing of natural gas network are the preferred options.

The small size of hydrogen molecules and ability to permeate and degrade materials are key considerations in the repurposing/design of existing natural gas infrastructure. The specific material challenges are:

Embrittlement of metallic components
Permeation through the metallic component and degradation of external coatings that causes corrosion of metallic parts
Ageing of polymeric materials

Understanding and improving the compatibility of materials with hydrogen is key in determining whether existing pipe network can be used for hydrogen transport, or whether a dedicated network is required.

The focus of this project will be on the behaviour of coatings and polymeric liners that could be used to facilitate the repurposing of the natural gas network for hydrogen distribution. Compatibility of liners as well as performance of barrier coatings for hydrogen transport is not well understood or tested. A comprehensive survey will be conducted to produce a review on materials challenges in the existing infrastructure and potential benefits and challenges of using coatings and liners to reduce the amount of adsorbed hydrogen at the steel surface. Consideration of retrofit application of these technologies into the existing infrastructure will be given.

Within this CRP project, liner and coatings in hydrogen infrastructure, material challenges, material’s resistance to hydrogen permeation, behaviour under operating conditions and test methodologies used for design and qualification will be reviewed. Following a thorough literature review, a number of polymeric liners utilised in non-metallic pipes and coatings for metallic pipe protection will be selected for evaluation of their properties after exposure to hydrogen gas at service conditions. The assessment of materials will be performed through thermal, chemical and mechanical properties.

The results obtained during this programme of work will help identify best practice in polymeric liner/coating selection and qualification protocols for hydrogen transport/distribution applications as well as improve safety of the hydrogen transport infrastructure.

Industry Sectors

- Power
- Energy
- Oil and Gas
- Engineering and Fabrication
- Polymers and Composites

Benefits to Industry

The obtained knowledge on material compatibility will provide TWI Industrial Members with clear and specific data to support their technology developments in the emerging hydrogen sector and materials testing (TRL9) for industrial applications.
There are very few studies on polymeric liner and coating behaviour under hydrogen service conditions. However, use of polymeric materials is a cost-effective option compared to other solutions. The results obtained during this programme of work will help identify best practice in polymeric liner/coating selection and qualification protocols for hydrogen transport/distribution application.
The project results could contribute to the development of recommended practises and standards for materials utilised as liners/coatings for hydrogen environment.