A sour burst test of a pressure vessel is described and the results given. The vessel was inspected for existing defects, rnaterial properties tested, integrity analyzed and artificial defects introduced before the vessel was
subjected to a worst-case environment causing hydrogen charging. The vessel had existing hydrogen-induced cracking (HIC) and some vertical weld defects. Laboratory materials testing in the hydrogen-charging
environment showed the vessel was susceptible to HIC damage, showed no yield strength reduction, reduced plastic ductility in rising load but exhibited a brittleness under high plastic strain. No existing or artificial defect initiated the final burst. Sulfide stress cracking (SSC) initiated at a weld produced with temper-bead capping passes but no post weld heat treatment. The vessel survived to 1.2 times actual yield or more than four times its license pressure but the vessel did exhibit a decrease in plastic ductility. Monitoring during the burst test showed that the vessel had been significantly charged with hydrogen.
Keywords: wet sour gas, sulfide stress cracking, hydrogen-induced cracking, burst test