Detailed mechanisms of hydrogen charging and hydrogen stress cracking of steel in liquid ammonia storage: II. Reanalysis of all the factual data

The available polarisation curves of the literature are analysed in view of the theoretical analysis of the corrosive medium in Part I (J.-L. Crolet, Materiaux & Techniques 107 , 401, 2019) and the new views on passivation and hydrogen charging. The accurate electrochemical conditions of the respective cathodic and “anodic” hydrogen charging are thus defined, or more exactly the paradox of a protonic cathodic reaction only running at high potential. Similarly in the available exposure test results, the locus of the ternary redox equilibrium between ammonia and its two decisive contaminants, oxygen and water, separates contaminated ammonia into two domains, on the one hand, a safe domain where the undersaturated oxygen cannot act as an oxidiser, hence no anodic HSC at the free corrosion potential, and on the other hand, a dangerous domain where oxygen is supersaturated, hence oxidising conditions, steel passivation, high potentials, anodic charging and anodic HSC. Likewise, all the known features of this environmental cracking are also explained, with no exception nor contradiction, including the differences between the liquid and vapour phases. An experimental method is also proposed to directly check the occurrence of anodic charging, and proposals are also made for at the same time improving safety and reducing operational or capital expenditures.