Hydrogen plays a critical role in modern refining operations because it is crucial in the process of converting poor quality crude into modern products. Hydrogen is necessary as a key enabler to allow refineries to comply with the latest product specifications and environmental requirements for fuel production. Hydrotreating, a process which is used to remove sulfur and other undesirable compounds from the process stream, is one such example of a hydrogen-containing process. In hydrotreating,
hydrogen is added to a hydrocarbon stream over a bed of catalysts, causing sulfur and nitrogen compounds to react with hydrogen, creating hydrogen sulfide and ammonia. However, hydrogen can also present challenges relating to the mechanical integrity of pressure-retaining equipment. Under certain conditions, hydrogen can diffuse into steel, thus leading to detrimental effects such as lowered mechanical properties (particularly fracture toughness) and higher risk of failure.
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