Influence of Hydrogen on Vintage Polyethylene Pipes: Slow Crack Growth Performance and Material Properties

The distribution of hydrogen and how this can be widely achieved plays a significant role in the transition from fossil fuels to clean fuel. Using the existing natural gas pipeline network can be a suitable option for countries with extensive pipeline infrastructure. This study is aimed at investigating the compatibility of the existing polyethylene (PE) distribution pipe network with hydrogen. This paper utilises the cyclic pennsylvania edge notch test (CPENT) method together with material property measurements including melting point, crystallinity, and oxidative induction time (OIT) to understand the impact of exposing two different PE pipe resins to hydrogen at different exposure times. It was found that exposure to hydrogen has a noticeable impact time to failure, while the bulk crystallinity, OIT, and melting point showed little change. A change in crystal orientation was observed, and this likely accounts for the difference in time to failure when exposed to hydrogen.