A testing methodology development is described, designed for ranking metallic thermal spray coatings in simulated service environments. Tests were devised to rank metallic coating resistance to corrosion and to
mechanical damage in environments simulating pressure vessels operations and on/off cycles, designed for hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide removal from hydrocarbon fluids. The test methodology was based on observations derived from a series of tests where variables such as stress cycles, pressure cycles, environment chemistry, and
stress risers were investigated. The resulting multi-exposure test procedure was applied to rank sixteen coating products, divided them into four performance groups, in sour and alkaline environments. Additional test procedure was developed to rank coatings for their ability to barrier hydrogen entry to steel, to prevent equipment from hydrogen related damage. The study demonstrated the importance of evaluating coating performance in terms of combined factors such as cyclic stress and environment type. Keywords: metallic thermal spray coating performance, testing methodology, pressure vessels, corrosion, stress,
hydrogen damage.