【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】2213-2025: Successful development of hydrogen transport pipes with the highest domestic steel grade

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Let’s give praise and support to the achievements made in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment; your participation in discussions is the greatest encouragement. **********************【Ten Years of Progress in Chemical Engineering Equipment】Regular updates and summaries are available; feel free to join the discussions: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html ***************** Pipeline transportation of hydrogen, as an efficient and economical method for transporting hydrogen energy, is gaining increasing attention both domestically and internationally. Liaoyang Petroleum Steel Pipe Manufacturing Co., Ltd. has accurately assessed market needs and focused its research efforts on applications involving long-distance, high-pressure hydrogen transportation pipelines. As a result, it has successfully developed spiral submerged arc welded steel pipes suitable for such pipelines, made from X60M grade steel, with an outer diameter of 813 millimeters and a wall thickness of 14.3 millimeters. At present, the highest steel grade used for hydrogen transmission pipelines in China is X52M; this company was the first to adopt X60M steel grade. It overcame the key technical challenges associated with manufacturing steel pipes for high-pressure, large-diameter hydrogen transport, thereby reducing the susceptibility of the pipe bodies and welds to hydrogen embrittlement. The pipes in question passed the hydrogen environment compatibility tests conducted by the Iron and Steel Research Institute Co., Ltd., with their key parameters such as slow tensile strength, fracture toughness, and fatigue life meeting the requirements of relevant standards. This achievement marked a breakthrough in the technology for producing steel pipes for hydrogen transmission pipelines, placing the company at the forefront of the industry and enabling it to enter the high-end market in the field of new energy. Liaoyang Petroleum Steel Pipe Manufacturing Co., Ltd. assigned dedicated personnel to form a project team for the trial production of hydrogen transport pipelines. Through thorough research and communication, the company gathered relevant information, determined the progress schedule, standards, and related requirements, and developed a detailed plan for the trial production, thereby making every effort to advance the trial production process on a pilot scale. This joint trial production with Bensteel Group was carried out; through technical exchanges, a technical agreement for sheet and coil production was established, and the trial production standards as well as key technical parameters were defined. During the prototype development phase, the project team made preparations for the equipment, personnel, and manufacturing processes in accordance with the prototype plan and standard requirements. Due to the high permeability of hydrogen molecules into metals, which can lead to hydrogen-induced cracking, with the support of the **Petroleum and Natural Gas Pipeline Engineering Technology Research Center**, the project team conducted repeated discussions to identify the best approach for trial production, ensuring that the performance of the steel pipes was optimal. Representative test samples were selected in accordance with professional standards for testing, and the results showed excellent performance in the hydrogen environment compatibility evaluation tests, indicating that the prototype met the intended objectives. The phased achievements achieved in the trial production of these long-distance hydrogen transport spiral welded pipes indicate that Liaoyang Company now possesses the capability to manufacture products for the new energy sector. It has also accumulated critical data regarding the selection of raw materials and auxiliary materials, the determination of key process parameters, and the control of physical and chemical properties. This provides a technical foundation for the company’s future development of similar products, as well as a resource base for their application.