High strength carbon steels are being used as the external reinforcement for a novel composite pipeline. This
system combines a thin wall corrosion resistant alloy with the reinforcement to produce a high pressure
pipeline which is manufactured on site giving a lower cost alternative to conventional thick-wall pipelines.
Despite the widely known susceptibility of high strength ferritic-bainitic carbon steels to hydrogen
embrittlement, there is little published data on the hydrogen embrittlement behaviour of martensitic carbon
steels. Therefore, a series of tests was performed to establish the risk of cracking in a buried condition where
cathodic protection is applied. Tests were performed to establish the plateau hydrogen content and the
hydrogen flux under various charging conditions, and then a series of slow strain rate and constant load tests
performed under polarised conditions to establish any reduction in ductility over samples tested in air.
Microscopy analysis of the fracture surfaces was performed to identify any change in the fracture morphology.
A stressed full ring test of a sample of the composite pipeline was also tested under simulated cathodic
protection conditions. The results of this testing are discussed and the implications for the use of this novel
composite pipeline system evaluated.
KEYWORDS: Hydrogen embrittlement, martensitic, steel, testing, pipe, composite