Hydrogen Partial Pressure, MPa Absolute

3.45 6.90 10.34 13.79 17.24 20.7 34.5 48.3 62.1 73.8
1500
3 (1510 °F) 800

3
1400
3

1300
3 700

3
1200

7 600
1100
23 13 13 3 13+0.5%W0.75%V
2K 6.0Cr-0.5Mo steel
13
7,3 1K 14+0.25%V 13+0.1%V
1000
7 1 1
1 23 1 1.25Cr-0.5Mo steel 15
5 7 500
20 7
900 24 (28,000)
23 1 3.0Cr-1Mo steel
2.25Cr-1Mo -V steel
1Q
1.0Cr-0.5Mo steel 1N 1N

Temperature, °F
19 2.25Cr-1.0Mo steel
800
21G 12B Note: See Annex A and Figure A.1
Temperature, °C

400
25H 20A for 0.5Mo steels
26 22
700 21E
21E 1L 1J
36
35h
35a 23F 1
37 1D 6 8U
600 34 23 16C
23 23 1.25Cr-0.5Mo or 1.0Cr -0.5Mo steel 5 6
23 11 20 300
19
1 23 1 33S 1P 3
23 Carbon steel (non-welded or
39 23 1
500 welded with PWHT)
40 18T 1 38 9 4
16
1 7
1 1 10
400 22
Carbon steel (welded with no PWHT) 200
9 10
4
17 13 8 (240 °F)
300
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 5000 7000 9000 11,000 13,000
Hydrogen Partial Pressure, psia Scale change

Legend:
NOTE 1 The limits described by these curves are based on service experience originally collected by G.A. Nelson and on additional Surface decarburization
information gathered by or made available to API.
NOTE 2 Austenitic stainless steels are generally not decarburized in hydrogen at any temperature or hydrogen pressure. Internal decarburization
NOTE 3 The limits described by these curves are based on experience with cast steel as well as annealed and normalized steels at Non-PWHT
stress levels defined by Section VIII, Division 1, of the ASME Code. See 5.3 and 5.4 in text for additional information. Carbon Carbon 1.0Cr 2.25Cr 3.0Cr 6.0Cr
steel steel 0.5Mo 1.00Mo 1.0Mo 0.5Mo
NOTE 4 Several failures of 1.25Cr 1-Mo steel have been reported in the satisfactory region. See Annex B for details.
NOTE 5 The inclusion of the 2.25Cr-1Mo-V class of steels is based on 10,000+hr laboratory tests where these alloys were at least Satisfactory
equal to the 3Cr-1Mo steel. See Reference [22] listed in the Bibliography. Internal decarburization
and fissuring
Copyright © 1967 by G.A. Nelson. Production rights granted by author to API. Surface decarburization
This figure was revised by API in 1969, 1983, 1990, 1996, and 2015.
See comments
STEELS FOR HYDROGEN SERVICE AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES AND PRESSURES IN PETROLEUM REFINERIES AND PETROCHEMICAL PLANTS

Figure 1—Operating Limits for Steels in Hydrogen Service to Avoid High Temperature Hydrogen Attack
3