Grain-boundary engineering markedly reduces susceptibility to intergranular hydrogen embrittlement in metallic materials

Journal Article · Sun May 10 04:00:00 EDT 2009 · Acta Materialia

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2009.05.012· OSTI ID:961528

Bechtle, Sabine; Kumar, Mukul; Somerday, Brian P; Launey, Maximilien E; Ritchie, Robert O

The feasibility of using 'grain-boundary engineering' techniques to reduce the susceptibility of a metallic material to intergranular embrittlement in the presence of hydrogen is examined. Using thermomechanical processing, the fraction of 'special' grain boundaries was increased from 46% to 75% (by length) in commercially pure nickel samples. In the presence of hydrogen concentrations between 1200 and 3400 appm, the high special fraction microstructure showed almost double the tensile ductility; also, the proportion of intergranular fracture was significantly lower and the J{sub c} fracture toughness values were some 20-30% higher in comparison with the low special fraction microstructure. We attribute the reduction in the severity of hydrogen-induced intergranular embrittlement to the higher fraction of special grain boundaries, where the degree of hydrogen segregation at these boundaries is reduced.

• Research Organization: Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: Materials Sciences Division
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231
• OSTI ID: 961528
• Report Number(s): LBNL-1964E
• Journal Information: Acta Materialia, Journal Name: Acta Materialia Journal Issue: 14 Vol. 57; ISSN 1359-6454; ISSN ACMAFD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
DUCTILITY
EMBRITTLEMENT
ENGINEERING
FRACTURE PROPERTIES
FRACTURES
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT
LENGTH
MATERIALS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MICROSTRUCTURE
NICKEL
PROCESSING
REDUCTION
SEGREGATION