HFI-welded Steel Pipes

for the transportation and storage of hydrogen

Product description X70 (L485) used for “Mannesmann H2ready®” steel pipes to
transport pure compressed hydrogen as well as hydrogen-/
“Mannesmann H2ready®” steel pipes from Mannesmann Line natural gas mixtures. As a result, neither base material nor
Pipe offer maximum flexibility and safety for the transport and HFI- or girth weld showed i.a. in Slow-Strain-Rate Tensile
storage of gaseous hydrogen and of hydrogen admixed to Tests at 80 bar any increased sensitivity towards hydrogen as
natural gas. far as the structurally relevant part of the curve is concerned.
Moreover, there is no significant absorption of hydrogen to be
found in the material, blocked by the natural oxide layer on
the pipe surface.

Influence of the surface condition on the absorbed hydrogen content in the steel:
hydrogen absorption into the steel can only be detected for the specimen with an
Our pipes feature an optimum service life. Previous tests activated surface; the amount is in the expected low range
and existing standards already show that the use of line pipe
grades up to API 5L X52 (L360) is non-critical. Another object of Hydrogen has only about one third of the calorific value
examination is the usage of higher-strength materials of grade of natural gas. This means that to transport roughly the same
quantity of energy as natural gas, the pressure in the pipeline
would have to be increased accordingly. However, this is not
possible for safety reasons. Alternatively, it is possible to operate
the hydrogen pipeline at a higher flow rate. To facilitate this, a
coating can be applied to the inside of the pipe to reduce the
friction between the pipe wall and the medium. Mannesmann
Line Pipe’s Flow Coat is the ideal solution for this.

We have involved Salzgitter Mannesmann Forschung, the

research institute of the Salzgitter group, in the testing and
realization of the highest quality standards. Together we
continuously work on broadening our knowledge base.
This way, we were able to prove evidence that the minimum for
the stress intensity KIH required in ASME B31.12-2019 is met
Stress-strain behavior in Slow-Strain-Rate Tensile Tests of X70 in 100 % hydrogen (H2)
compared to an inert nitrogen atmosphere (N2) on specimens from the base material and even excelled for our “Mannesmann H2ready®” materials,
and HFI-weld tested so far. Further details are illustrated on page 3.
HFI-welded Steel Pipes
for the transportation and storage of hydrogen

Application • Its chemical industry is searching for hydrogen from

increasingly carbon-extensive sources
Apart from the increasing energy demand worldwide, it is
• There are salt caverns for large-volume H2 storage in
particularly political efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
northern Germany (unlike in California or Japan)
that are causing a growing demand for alternative energy
sources. This is accompanied by a decline in base-load • Energy-intensive premium steel production and further
generation capacity, which is being accelerated in Germany by processing
the forced phase-out of nuclear power.

Given an energy mix with a strong regenerative focus, the However, the increased use of hydrogen calls for corresponding
technical compensation of fluctuating electricity production and infrastructure in order to transport and store the medium. This
demand-based long-distance conveyance to the centers of creates an enormous demand for new gas pipelines, suitable
consumption will be of critical importance. Thus, innovations in for hydrogen conveyance. In the simulation of a hydrogen
energy storage and transportation are decisive for a successful network infrastructure with mass-storage facilities, the following
energy turn-around. possible future scenario has been determined: For the complete

In the power-to-gas sector, hydrogen in particular is proving conversion of mobility to hydrogen as an energy source by
to be a useful storage and transport medium. New fields the year 2052 with 33.9 million fuel-cell vehicles, 9,450 H2
of application can be found, for example, in the conversion filling stations would be required nationwide. Since hydrogen
of electricity, the heat market, automotive industry (fuel cell technology is also being seriously promoted in countries with
technology), steel industry, glass industry, chemical industry extremely high traffic density, such as the USA, Japan, China
and food industry. and India, there is no question that new pipelines are needed.
Especially in Germany, increasing the use of hydrogen makes
good sense for several reasons. High-frequency induction-welded “Mannesmann H2ready®”
pipes from Mannesmann Line Pipe with chemical, mechanical
• The country has over 100 years of experience with the
and geometric properties specially adapted to the transport of
commercial handling of hydrogen
hydrogen is ideally suited to the imminent expansion of pipeline
capacity. Proven welding technology and the use of modern
• It ranks among the group of global leaders in the
development of H2 and fuel cell technologies steel grades resistant to the corrosive effect of hydrogen make
our line pipe a cost-effective and environment-friendly solution.
HFI-welded Steel Pipes
for the transportation and storage of hydrogen

Product properties Tests

Steel as a material is noted for its extremely high toughness, The test described here is used to determine the fracture
durability and high resistance to external influences. Our supply resistance in high-pressure hydrogen gas as defined in chapter
range with a broad spectrum of steel pipe dimensions from DN PL-3.7.1 Steel Piping Systems Design Requirements, Option
100 to DN 600 is fully amenable to a wide range of applications B (performance-based design method) of ASME B31.12-2019.
and special uses. Thanks to an optimized combination of The threshold stress intensity factor KIH is determined using
materials and grades, our “Mannesmann H2ready®” pipes are the constant displacement method as described in ASME
not only clean and safe but also economical. BPVC Section VIII Division 3-2013, article KD-10 and ASTM
E1681-2013. To this end, the samples are pre-loaded to a
certain constant deformation by means of a screw. The tests are
Fracture resistance (KIH) of H2Ready® pipes in pure performed for 1000 hours in high-pressure (100 bar) hydrogen
hydrogen gas mainly on base metal (BM). A set of three specimens for each
material grade is used. One set is extracted from the HFI-weld
Introduction (WM).

High-frequency induction (HFI-)welded “Mannesmann H2ready®” Results

steel pipes from Mannesmann Line Pipe GmbH offer maximum
flexibility and safety for the transport and storage of gaseous The KIH value calculated from the test results is in all cases
hydrogen and of hydrogen admixed to natural gas. The purpose significantly higher than the minimum specified stress intensity
of this series of tests is to evaluate the effect of hydrogen on the factor of 55 MPa√m, thus fulfilling the qualification requirements
fracture resistance of a large number of Mannesmann H2ready® of ASME B31.12. A test on X60M with an elevated applied
grades. The tests were conducted at Salzgitter Mannesmann stress shows that the material exceeds the requirements of
Forschung GmbH to show the material’s ability to satisfy the the standard by more than 30 MPa√m. In conclusion, the tests
specifications given in ASME B31.12. confirm the tested materials’ superior resistance to hydrogen
embrittlement under the selected conditions. In order to prove
the suitability of all Mannesmann H2ready® steels for the design
of hydrogen pipelines using ASME B31.12, further tests on
different steel grades are ongoing or can in future be adapted to
the various needs of the applications in question.

Material Specimen KIH, applied KIH, reached

grade position in MPa√m in MPa√m

X42N base material 125–131 62–65

X52N base material 116–127 58–64

X60M base material 124–126 62–63

X60M base material 170–172 85–86

X65M base material 125–129 63–65

X70M base material 125–129 62–64

X60M weld material 127–145 63–72

HFI-welded Steel Pipes
for the transportation and storage of hydrogen

Flow Coat Test 1

Introduction Testing of the resistance of the coating in a gaseous hydrogen

environment to DIN EN 10301 Annex C
For the transport of non-corrosive gases in pipelines, epoxy
Flow Coat is applied as a so-called thin-film epoxy. The purpose The purpose of the test is to visually
of the inner coating is to create a smooth pipe surface that inspect and determine the adhesion of
presents as little friction as possible to the medium being the applied coating after it has been
transported. Improved flow is combined with lower energy exposed to 10-fold pressure changes
requirements. in a gaseous hydrogen environment.
Throughout the test, the sample is
The epoxy lining also facilitates visual inspection and pipeline stored in a hydrogen gas atmosphere.
pigging. When the pipes are stored, Flow Coat serves as In loading cycles 1 to 4 and 6 to 9, the
corrosion protection as well. hydrogen pressure is increased to 100
bar for 20 hours. After each cycle, there
Flow Coat is applied in a film thickness of approx. 60 µm in is rapid depressurisation to atmospheric
accordance with API RP 5L2/ISO 15741. pressure, which is maintained for 3
hours. In cycles 5 and 10, however, the
hydrogen pressure of 100 bar remains Autoclave for the Flow Coat
constant for 68 hours. tests

Test 2

Testing the resistance of the coating with the use of liquid media
to DIN EN 10301 Annex D

The purpose of the test is to evaluate the behaviour of the

coating after exposure to pressurised hydrogen in a liquid
environment (water/calcium carbonate (CaCO3)). For this
purpose, the sample coated with Flow Coat is exposed to
hydrogen gas at 100 bar in a saturated CaCO3 solution for 24
Flow Coat on the pipe interior Flow Coat application
hours. At the end of the test, the pressure is quickly released.
This is followed by a visual inspection of the coating and an
Resistance of the coating to gas pressure changes evaluation of its adhesive strength.

Hydrogen can easily diffuse into coatings. To rule out the risk of Results
this causing blistering in the event of a sudden drop in pressure,
www.heselsvomberg.de

the following tests were conducted: Neither test showed any blistering on the specimens used.
Datasheet Mannesmann H2ready® EN 02/2023

Mannesmann Line Pipe GmbH

In der Steinwiese 31
D – 57074 Siegen
Germany

Phone: +49 271 691-0

Fax: +49 271 691-299
E-Mail: [email protected]
www.mannesmann-innovations.com
Here you can find more information.
www.mannesmann-linepipe.com