ASME B31.12 Hydrogen Piping and Pipeline Code Design Rules and Their Interaction With Pipeline Materials Concerns, Issues and Research

The ASME B31.12 Hydrogen Piping and Pipeline Code has just been published for use in designing hydrogen piping and pipeline systems. The B31.12 Committee has developed two design methods that take current steel specifications and chemical compositions into consideration. Due to the variability of chemistry and the lack of statistically meaningful test data these two methods place a design or testing burden on the owner of the pipeline or piping system. Research and development that can be applied to an understanding of the desirable microstructure along with a cleanliness level that is suitable in commercial grade steels for hydrogen service is imperative.© 2009 ASME