Hydrogen Embrittlement :

Causes, Effects & Prevention

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.

Hydrogen may be introduced during :

[1] During Melting & Entrapped during
Solidification,
[2] Anodic Reaction during Corrosion,
[3] Hydrogen Gas Welding & Moistured
Electrode

The Chief characteristics of Hydrogen

Embrittlement :
[1] Strain Rate Sensitivity increases,
[2] Susceptibility to Delayed Fracture
increases.
Hydrogen Embrittlement is enhanced by slow strain
rates. At low temperatures and high temperatures
hydrogen embrittlement is negligible, but it is most
severe at Room Temperature for example steel.
Slow bend test and Notched and Unnotched tension
tests will detect hydrogen Embrittlement by a drastic

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,

HIE (Second-phase mechanism)

Hydrogen-Enhanced Decohesion

Mechanism,
HEDE (brittle fracture)
Hydrogen Enhanced Localized Plasticity-

Mechanism, HELP (ductile fracture)

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

be specified for welding if hydrogen

embrittlement is a problem. Also, it is
important to maintain dry conditions
during welding since water and
water vapor are major sources of
hydrogen.

Prevention Techniques
Substituting Alloys
The materials most susceptible to

hydrogen embrittlement are the very

high-strength steels. Alloying with Ni
or
Mo
reduces
susceptibility.
Because, Nickel-containing steels and
Nickel-base alloys have very low
hydrogen diffusion rates and best
way to prevent from hydrogen
embrittlement.

References
[1]

George E. Dieter and David Bacon, Mechanical

Metallurgy, McGraw-Hill Book Company, ISBN 0-07-100406-8.
[2] Mar G. Fontana, Corrosion Engineering, McGraw-Hill
Book Company, ISBN 978-0-07-060744-6.
[3] G. Alefeld and J. Volkl (eds.), "Hydrogen in Metals,
Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Vols. 1 and 2, 1978.
[4] R. Kirchheim, E. Fromm, E. Wicke, eds., Verlag, Munchen,
"Metals-Hydrogen Systems," 1989.
[5] A.M. Brass, J. Chne, Hydrogen Uptake in 316L
Stainless Steel: Conseq- uences on Tensile Properties,
Corrosion Science 48 (2006) 3222-3242.
[6] C. L. Briant and S. K. Banerji (eds.), Embrittlement of
Engineering Alloys, Academic Press , New York, 1983.
[7] R.
Gibala, R. F. Hehnemann (eds.), Hydrogen
Embrittlement and Stress Corrosion Cracking, American
Society for Metals, Metals Park, Ohio, 1984.

Cont..
[8] I. M. Bernstein and A. W. Thompson (eds.), Hydrogen in

Metals, Amer Soc. For Metals, Metals Park Ohio, 1974.

[9] L . W. Tsay, T. Y. Yang, Reduction of hydrogen embrittlement
in an ultra-high-strength steel by laser surface annealing,
Fatigue Fract Engng Mater Struct, 23, p325333.
[10] H. Kamoutsi, G.N. Haidemenopoulos, V. Bontozoglou, S.
Pantelakis, Corrosion-induced hydrogen embrittlement in
aluminum alloy 2024, Corrosion Science, 48 (2006), p12091224.
[11] R.A. Siddiqui, H.A. Abdullah, Hydrogen embrittlement in

0.31% carbon steel used for petrochemical applications,

Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 170 (2005) ,p430435.
[12] C. Pan, Y.J. Su, W.Y. Chu, et al, Hydrogen embrittlement of

weld metal of austenitic stainless steels, Corrosion Science, 44

(2002), p1983.
[13] P. Sofronis, I.M. Robertson, Viable Mechanisms of Hydrogen

embrittlement-A Review, American Institute of Physics, 2006,

p837.
[14] C. D. Beachem, Met. Transactions, volume -3, page 437, 1972.

Thank You