Wet hydrogen sulfide cracking of steel monitoring by acoustic emission: discrimination of AE sources

Abstract

In the petroleum industry, it is known that equipments which operate in wet hydrogen sulfide (H2S) media can be subjected to damages like Hydrogen Induced Cracking (HIC) and Sulfide Stress Cracking (SSC). In this study, Acoustic Emission (AE) technique is used to monitor the cracking of steels immersed in sour media. The aim is to establish a methodology for HIC and SSC detection by AE and therefore to get more detailed information on the cracking mechanisms in steels during standard tests. The main focus of this article is the preliminary identification of the different AE sources involved during the tests performed in sour media. The methodology of identification of the different AE signals and the monitoring of HIC and SSC tests performed on different steel grades are described. The results indicate that AE can provide an early detection of cracking (HIC and SSC) when the various AE sources are identified.