Hydrogen Embrittlement Of Cathodically Protected Subsea Bolting Alloys

Normal operations of cathodic protection (CP) systems caused hydrogen embrittlement failures of subsea bolts made of Monel K-500 alloy (UNS N05500) on offshore platforms. Subsequent testing showed that the embrittlement could be predicted from cathodically protected slow strain rate tensile tests. Additional slow strain rate tests have shown that CP caused embrittlement of Ferralium 255 (S32550), Inconel X-750 (N07750), Inconel 718 (N07718), high strength steel, and 13% chromium alloys. Beryllium copper (C17200), A-286 steel (S66286), Beta-C titanium (R58640), and steel at a yield strength of 793 MPa (115 ksi) were not embrittled under the same conditions.