Is hydrogen embrittlement a threat to valves? Get the answer here! [Part 1 of 4]

Hydrogen pipelines and trees stand for hydrogen embrittlement of valves.

Germany is hard at work on becoming a decarbonized region. The country found a scalable solution in hydrogen that favors all parts—the environment, citizens, and industries. To get the H2 initiative started, the government, with the help of the scientific community, is developing several macro projects. The first phase focuses on blended operations that lead to the controlled addition of hydrogen into the existing natural gas grid infrastructure.

Under such a novel context, it is natural to inquire about the potential implications of gas blending. How can the addition of hydrogen affect the existing systems? Is hydrogen embrittlement of materials a possibility? What are the causes? How to prevent it? These are rather important questions raised by plant operators. So, as valve manufacturers, AS-Schneider felt committed to taking action and finding answers. We sent our team to a one-on-one meeting with specialist Dr. Brian Kagay. His work in the prestigious Materials Testing Institute at the University of Stuttgart qualifies him as an expert in this subject. If you are a plant operator, you don’t want to miss out on what he had to say.

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