Hydrogen induced ductility losses in austenitic stainless steel welds

Technical Report · Thu Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6663625· OSTI ID:6663625

Brooks, J A; West, A J

The effect of hydrogen on the tensile behavior of austenitic stainless steel welds was studied in two AISI 300 series alloys and two nitrogen strengthened alloys. The microstructure of these welds typically contained several percent ferrite in an austenite matrix. Hydrogen was found to reduce the ductility of all welds; however, the severity of ductility loss decreased with increasing stacking fault energy, as observed in previous studies on wrought material. In the lowest stacking fault energy welds, 304L and 308L, hydrogen changed the fracture mode from simple rupture to a mixed mode of ductile and brittle fracture associated with the austenite ferrite interface. Higher stacking fault energy welds, 309S and 22-13-5, showed smaller losses in ductility. In these materials hydrogen assisted the ductile rupture process by aiding void growth and coalescence, without changing the fracture mode. Varying the amount of ferrite from approximately one to 10 percent had no significant effect on performance in hydrogen.

• Research Organization: Sandia Labs., Livermore, CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-04-0789
• OSTI ID: 6663625
• Report Number(s): SAND-78-8675
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360103 -- Metals & Alloys-- Mechanical Properties
360105* -- Metals & Alloys-- Corrosion & Erosion
ALLOYS
AUSTENITIC STEELS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM STEELS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL STEELS
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
CRYSTAL DEFECTS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DUCTILITY
HEAT RESISTANT MATERIALS
HEAT RESISTING ALLOYS
HYDRIDATION
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
JOINTS
MATERIALS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
NICKEL ALLOYS
STACKING FAULTS
STAINLESS STEEL-304L
STAINLESS STEEL-309S
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
TENSILE PROPERTIES
WELDED JOINTS