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Within the Energy sector, Rapid Gas Decompression (RGD) Testing has been a misunderstood phenomenon - until now.

Staying at the forefront of the Energy industry developments and advancements, Element offers Rapid Gas Decompression testing to help manufacturers and users of polymeric materials better understand their behavior under these common conditions.

What is Rapid Gas Decompression?

Caused by gases such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S), hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2) and supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2), Rapid Gas Decompression causes deterioration and failures of non-metallic components, putting valuable equipment and resources at risk. Because of their constant pressure fluctuations, elastomeric seals are most vulnerable to RGD. When they are pressurized, gases seep into the interior of the seal, where they remain until pressure is released. When this happens, the dissolved gas tries to escape, often resulting in ruptures and failures of seals and other critical components.

RGD Testing for O-Rings using Hydrogen Sulfide

Previously, Rapid Gas Decompression testing had only been performed using carbon dioxide and/or methane gases. While these are very valuable results to have, Element has developed a procedure for testing O-rings with hydrogen sulfide, a highly corrosive gas that provides a more accurate simulation of real-world conditions. This method subjects seals to both H2S and a control (non-sour) gas to evaluate how sour gases affect the resistance to rapid gas decompression.  

The RGD test is conducted by applying cyclic pressure inside a pressure vessel at High Temperature/High Pressure (HT/HP) conditions as is standard procedure but with stringent H&S additions as required for this highly toxic gas. This significant upgrade to standard methods is new and innovative, allowing the sector access to RGD testing in sour environments for the first time.

For more information about this test, and to request a quote for this new service, speak to an expert today.