Hydrogen-induced strain localization and failure of austenitic stainless steels at high hydrogen concentrations

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Acta Metallurgica et Materialia; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0956-7151(91)90211-I· OSTI ID:6955926

Ulmer, D G; Altstetter, C J ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Illinois, Urbana, IL (United States). Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering

Mechanical behavior and fractography of hydrogen-austenitic stainless steel solid solutions were studied to determine the microstructural origins of hydrogen-assisted fracture. AISI 310S and 304 stainless steels containing hydrogen in homogeneous solid solution in concentrations up to approximately 15 at.% resulted in an increase in flow stress by more than a factor two. The loss in ductility increased with increasing hydrogen content and was accompanied by an increasing frequency of brittle'' secondary cracks. The 304 alloy was embrittled at lower concentrations than was the 310S. In the polycrystalline austenitic stainless steels brittle'' cracking was predominantly intergranular, although there was evidence of shear crack formation along operating slip planes. Intensely localized shear along the active slip planes was found on both fracture surfaces and on polished side surfaces of specimens containing solute hydrogen. Shear localization in the hydrogen-austenitic stainless steel solid solutions appeared to result from the limitation of the number of active slip systems by increasing the local stress to operate dislocation sources. In this study there was no evidence that hydrogen lowered the strength of internal interfaces, rather fracture was found to result from an extreme localization of slip into narrow slip bands and increased difficulty in slip transfer across interfaces.

• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76ER01198
• OSTI ID: 6955926
• Journal Information: Acta Metallurgica et Materialia; (United States), Journal Name: Acta Metallurgica et Materialia; (United States) Vol. 39:6; ISSN 0956-7151; ISSN AMATEB
• 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 COMPOSITION
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL STEELS
CONCENTRATION RATIO
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
DATA
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELONGATION
EMBRITTLEMENT
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FRACTURE MECHANICS
HEAT RESISTANT MATERIALS
HEAT RESISTING ALLOYS
HIGH ALLOY STEELS
HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT
INFORMATION
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MATERIALS
MECHANICS
MICROSCOPY
MICROSTRUCTURE
NICKEL ALLOYS
NUMERICAL DATA
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
STAINLESS STEEL-304
STAINLESS STEEL-310
STAINLESS STEELS
STEEL-CR19NI10
STEEL-CR25NI20
STEELS
STRESSES