A possible solution to check the fitness-to-service of existing pipeline steels for hydrogen transport is to extract small coupons without interrupting supply operations. From these coupons, it is possible to machine sub-size specimens to characterize ductility and fracture toughness of the base and weld (weld metal and heat affected zone) materials in both air and pressurized hydrogen environments. Using sub-size requires specific facilities. This paper describes a new setup and the associated methodology developed to test sub-size specimens. The method is applied to tests under pressurized hydrogen gas.
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