• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.193-201
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• 2018

In order to suppress $CO_2$ emission and protect passengers in case of vehicle collision, continuous efforts are being made to increase the application ratio and tensile strength of advanced high strength steels used in the manufacturing of automotive body. Simultaneously, hydrogen embrittlement which was not a concern in the past has currently become a major issue due to microstructure that is sensitive to hydrogen uptake. The sensitivity increases with residual stress and hydrogen uptake content. Many automotive OEM companies and mill makers are setting specifications to control hydrogen embrittlement. The factors which lead to hydrogen embrittlement are material sensitivity, residual stress, and hydrogen concentration; researches are in progress to develop countermeasures. To reduce material sensitivity, mill makers add high energy trap elements or microstructure refinement elements. Automotive OEM companies design the car parts not to concentrate local stress. And they manage the levels to not to exceed critical hydrogen concentration. In this article, we have reviewed hydrogen embrittlement evaluation methods and corresponding solutions that are being studied in automobile manufacturing industries and mill makers.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.581-586
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• 2011

This study describes a hydrogen embrittlement evaluation of the subsurface zone in 590DP steel by micro-Vickers hardness measurement. The 590DP steel was designed to use in high-strength thin steel sheets as automotive materials. The test specimens were fabricated to 5 series varying the chemical composition through the process of casting and rolling. Electrochemical hydrogen charging was conducted on each specimen with varying current densities and charging times. The relationship between the embrittlement and hydrogen charging conditions was established by investigating the metallography. The micro-Vickers hardness was measured to evaluate the hydrogen embrittlement of the subsurface zone in addition to the microscopic investigation. The micro-Vickers hardness increased with the charging time at the surface. However, the changing ratio and maximum variation of hardness with depth were nearly the same value for each test specimen under the current density of 150 mA/$cm^2$ and charging time of 50 hours. Consequently, it appears that hydrogen embrittlement in 590DP steel can be evaluated by micro-Vickers hardness measurement.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.1109-1112
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• 2017

The precise prediction of radiation embrittlement of aged reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) is a prerequisite for the long-term operation of nuclear power plants beyond their original design life. The expiration of the operation licenses for Korean reactors the RPVs of which are made from SA533B-1 plates and welds is imminent. Korean regulatory rules have adopted the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission's transition temperature shift (TTS) models to the prediction of the embrittlement of Korean reactor pressure vessels. The applicability of the TTS model to predict the embrittlement of Korean RPVs made of SA533B-1 plates and welds was investigated in this study. It was concluded that the TTS model of 10 CFR 50.61a matched the trends of the radiation embrittlement in the SA533B-1 plates and welds better than did that of Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.99 Rev. 2. This is attributed to the fact that the prediction performance of 10 CFR 50.61a was enhanced by considering the difference in radiation embrittlement sensitivity among the different types of RPV materials.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2021

The martensitic stainless steel has excellent corrosion resistance and higher strength by quenching and tempering heat treatment. It has been widely used as blade material due to these properties. The hardness and impact toughness of martensitic stainless steel depended strongly on tempering temperatures. The 12Cr martensite stainless steel (SS 410) tempered about 540℃ showed temper embrittlement. To know cause of temper embrittlement in terms of phase identification, a detailed analysis of electron diffraction patterns during TEM observations has been carried out on the <110>α-Fe and <113>α-Fe zone axes for temper embrittlement specimen. The double electron diffraction spots at 1/3(211) and 2/3(211) positions were observed. The lattice space between individual diffraction spots was about 3.5 Å and this value coincide with three times to α-bcc lattice space (1.17 Å). The area which found double diffraction spots was judged metastable "zone" similar to the omega phase and induced embrittlement of SS410 material.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.203-210
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• 2022

In this study, hydrogen embrittlement in Inconel 718 fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM) was investigated. To focus on the effect of the SLM-induced solidification substructure, hydrogen embrittlement behavior of SLM as-built (SLM-AB) sample and that of conventionally produced (Con-S) sample were systematically compared. The detailed microstructural characterization showed that the SLM-AB sample exhibited a solidification substructure including a high density of dislocations and Laves phase, while the Con-S sample showed completely recrystallized grains without any substructure. Although the intrinsic strength in the SLM-AB sample was higher than the Con-S sample, the resistance to hydrogen embrittlement was higher in the SLM-AB sample. Nevertheless, a statistical analysis of the hydrogen-assisted cracks (HACs) revealed that the predominant HAC type of SLM-AB and Con-S samples was similar, i.e., intergranular HAC. The difference in the resistance to hydrogen embrittlement between the SLM-AB and Con-S samples were discussed in terms of the relation between the microstructural feature and its effect on hydrogen accumulation.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.185-192
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• 2024

This study examined how varying tempering temperatures affect the susceptibility of Cr-Mo low alloy steels to hydrogen embrittlement. A slow strain-rate test (SSRT) was carried out on the steels electrochemically pre-charged with hydrogen in order to examine the hydrogen embrittlement behavior. The results showed that the hydrogen embrittlement resistance of the Cr-Mo low alloy steels improved with increasing tempering temperature. Thermal desorption analysis (TDA) revealed that diffusible hydrogen content decreased with increasing tempering temperature, accompanied by a slight increase in the peak temperature. This decrease in hydrogen content was likely due to a reduction in dislocation density which served as reversible hydrogen trap sites. These findings underline the significant role of tempering temperature in enhancing the hydrogen embrittlement resistance of Cr-Mo low alloy steels.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.302-309
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• 2024

The purpose of this study was to elucidate effects of a thin (tens to hundreds of nanometers) Ni-flash coating layer on hydrogen embrittlement (HE) and liquid metal embrittlement (LME) in ultra-high-strength electrogalvanized steel with a tensile strength of more than 1 GPa. Various experimental and analytical methods, including thermal desorption spectroscopy, slow strain rate testing, resistance spot welding, X-ray diffraction, and metallographic observation, were employed. Results showed that an increase in Ni target amount for flash coating resulted in a decrease in diffusible hydrogen content during electrogalvanizing, resulting in a significant decrease in HE sensitivity. Moreover, a Ni target amount of more than 1000 mg/m² drastically reduced the occurring frequency and average depth of LME. This reduction could be primarily attributed to formation of Zn-Ni intermetallic phases during the welding process that could inhibit liquefaction of intermetallic phases in the heat-affected zone. This study provides a desirable Ni target amount for Ni-flash coating on ultra-high-strength steels conducted in a continuous galvanizing line or a high-speed batch line to achieve high resistance to both HE and LME.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.37 no.12
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• pp.1497-1502
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• 2013

When using hydrogen gas as an ecofriendly energy sources, it is necessary to conduct a safety assessment and ensure thereliability of the hydrogen pressure vessel against hydrogen embrittlement expected in the steel materials. In this study, by applying the in-situ SP test method, the gas hydrogen embrittlement behaviors in SA372 steel, which is commonly used as a pressurized hydrogen gas storage container, were evaluated. To investigate the hydrogen embrittlement behavior, SP tests at different punch velocities were conducted for specimens with differently fabricated surfaces at atmospheric pressure and under high-pressure hydrogen gas conditions. As a result, the SA372 steel showed significant hydrogen embrittlement under pressurized hydrogen gas conditions. The effect of punch velocity on the hydrogen embrittlement appeared clearly; the lower punch velocity case indicated significant hydrogen embrittlement resulting in lower SP energy. The fractographic morphologies observed after SP test also revealed the hydrogen embrittlement behavior corresponding to the punch velocity adopted. Under this pressurized gas hydrogen test condition, the influence of specimen surface condition on the extent of hydrogen embrittlement could not be determined clearly.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.10 no.1 s.30
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• pp.43-47
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• 2006

This study attempted to examine how the hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility of the STS 444 stainless steel varies under different welding conditions and how its effect on hydrogen embrittlement differs by the impressed current density levels. For doing so, U bend test specimens was used to impress the current density at 5,10, 15, and 20 $mA/cm^2$ in the $0.5M\;H_2SO_4+0.001M\;As_2O_3$ solution with an electrochemical corrosion tester. The hydrogen embrittlement was assessed by observing the time to failure, and then the microphotographs of metal structures were compared to investigate the metal- related structural properties. The study findings suggest that the effect on hydrogen embrittlement for the STS 444 steel significantly depends on both the welding conditions, or variations in the amount of shield gas, and the levels of current density. In particular, as the impressed current density increases, the hydrogen embrittlement increases rapidly.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.182-190
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• 2001

A marine structural material was well known to have high tensile strength, good weldability and proper corrosion resistance. Cu-containing high strength low alloy(HSLA) steel was recently developed for their purposes mentioned above. And the steel is free about preheating for welding, therefore it is reported that shipbuilding cost by using it can be saved more or less. However the marine structural materials like Cu-containing HSLA steel are being generally adopted with cathodic protection method in severe corrosive environment like natural sea water but the high strength steel may give rise to Hydrogen Embrittlement due to over protection at high cathodic current density for cathodic protection. In this study Cu-containing HSLA steel using well for marine atructure was investigated about the susceptibility of Hydrogen Embrittlement as functions of tensile strength, strain ratio, fracture time, and fracture mode, etc. and an optimum cathodic protection potential by slow strain rate test(SSRT) method as well as corrosion properties in natural sea water. And its corrosion resistance was superior to SS400 steel, but Hydrogen Embrittlement susceptibility of Cu-containing HSLA steel was higer than that of SS400 steel. However Hydrogen Embrittlement of its steel by SSRT method was showed with pheonomena such as decreasing of fracture time, strain ratio and fracture mode of QC(quasi-cleavage). Eventually it is suggested that an optimum cathodic protection potential not presenting Hydrogen Embrittlement of Cu-containing of HSLA steel by SSRT method was from-770mv(SCE) to - 900mV(SCE)under natural sea water.