Page 52: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Mar/Apr 2025)

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MAINTENANCE STRESS CORROSION CRACKING AND HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT

All images courtesy Parker Hannifn

KEYS TO KEEPING

OFFSHORE METAL

STRUCTURES SHIP SHAPE

MITIGATING STRESS CORROSION CRACKING (SCC) AND HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT (HE) IN OFFSHORE STRUCTURES.

Understanding, finding and deploying strategies to mitigate stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and hydrogen embrittlement (HE) are essential to protecting investments in offshore structures. Paula Lepore, Global

Projects Engineering Manager and Anshul Godha, Materials Scientist at Parker Hannifin discuss a new approach to understanding the potential problem and devising a solution.

By Greg Trauthwein

Sign up her for Parker Hannifn’s WEBINAR entitled “A Brand-New Approach to Understanding and

Mitigating Stress Corrosion Cracking and Hydrogen Embrittlement.” https://bit.ly/3Y1hiAS ffshore structures face numerous chal-

The SCC and HE Threat lenges in harsh marine environments,

Stress corrosion cracking is a form of environmentally with stress corrosion cracking (SCC) assisted cracking that occurs when a material under high and hydrogen embrittlement (HE) be- stress is exposed to a corrosive environment. SCC can cause ing among the most signifcant threats to brittle fractures in otherwise ductile materials, particularly

O structural integrity and longevity. These conditions can in offshore infrastructure such as pipelines and pressure lead to sudden and catastrophic failures, jeopardizing vessels. Hydrogen embrittlement, on the other hand, re- safety and incurring substantial costs. Offshore Engineer sults from hydrogen atoms diffusing into metals, reducing recently sat down with Paula Lepore, Chief Engineer at their ductility and leading to sudden failure. In offshore

Parker Hannifn’s Instrumentation Products Division, settings, where structures are exposed to stress and corro- and Anshul Godha, Material Scientist at Parker Hanni- sive marine conditions, even minor cracks can propagate fn, to discuss the latest approaches to understanding rapidly, risking both safety and operational continuity.

and mitigating SCC and HE.

"Together, SCC and HE represent signifcant threats to 52 OFFSHORE ENGINEER OEDIGITAL.COM