Sidheshwar Kumar
107MM024
Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
NIT Rourkela, 769008
Contents
Introduction
Causes
Mechanism
Effects
Prevention Techniques
References
Introduction
Embrittlement is a loss of ductility of a
material, or making it brittle.
If embrittlement occurs due to the
effect of hydrogen absorption then it
known as Hydrogen Embrittlement.
It is more susceptible to BCC and
HCP structured metals as compare to
FCC structured metals. As Little as
0.0001 weight percent of hydrogen can
cause cracking in steel.
Mechanism
The exact mechanism of hydrogen
embrittlement is not well known. The
initial causes is the same: penetration
of atomic hydrogen into the metal
structure.
Most of the mechanisms that
have been proposed for hydrogen
embrittlement are based on slip
interference by dissolved hydrogen. This
slip interference may be due to
accumulation of hydrogen near
Proposed Mechanism
Hydride-Induced Embrittlement,
Mechanism,
HEDE (brittle fracture)
Hydrogen Enhanced Localized Plasticity-
Prevention Techniques
Reducing Corrosion Rate
Hydrogen
embrittlement
occurs
frequently during pickling operations
where corrosion of the base metal
produces
vigorous
hydrogen
evolution.
By
careful
inhibitor
additions, base-metal corrosion can
largely be eliminated during pickling
with a susequent decrease in
hydrogen pickup.
Prevention Techniques
Using Clean Steel
Rimmed
steels
tend
to
have
numerous voids, and the subtitution
of killed steel greatly increases the
resistance to hydrogen interstitials for
embrittlement because of the Less
number of voids in this material.
Prevention Techniques
Baking
Hydrogen
embrittlement is an almost
reversible process, especially in steels.
That is, if the hydrogen is removed, the
mechanical properties of the treated
material are only slightly different from
those of hydogen-free steel. A common
way of removing hydrogen in steels is by
baking at relatively low temperatures at
200-300 F.
Prevention Techniques
Practicing Proper Welding
Low-hydrogen welding rods should
Prevention Techniques
Substituting Alloys
The materials most susceptible to
References
[1]
Cont..
[8] I. M. Bernstein and A. W. Thompson (eds.), Hydrogen in
Thank You