• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.48-53
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• 2013

In the present work, it was investigated a behavior of hydrogen embrittlement at the subsurface zones of 590 DP steels by using the micro-Vickers hardness test. The micro-Vickers hardnessess of DP steels were measured to evaluate the degree of embrittlement as the effective hardening depths of subsurface zones with hydrogen charging conditions. The results showed that the distributions of micro-Vickers hardness in width varied from maximum hardness 239.5 Hv to minimum hardness 174 Hv, while the depth of effective hardening layer at the subsurface zones of DP steels was from $320{\mu}m$ to $460{\mu}m$ with hydrogen charging conditions, respectively. It was proposed that the distribution of microhardness be used as the evaluation index of the degree of embrittlement. But the variations of martensite volume fractions were not affected along depth of hardening at the same changing time, hydrogen charging times were appeared as an effective factor of the degree of embrittlement. Therefore, the micro-Vickers hardness test is an attractive tool for evaluation of hydrogen embrittlement at the subsurface zones of these DP steels.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.229-233
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• 2013

The small punch(SP) tests that can be applied to high strength sheet steel in automobile were carried out to evaluate the behavior of hydrogen embrittlement of DP sheet steels. In order to charge hydrogen at DP sheet steels, DP sheet steels were treated by the electrochemical hydrogen charging method under the charging conditions of current densities of 100, 150 and 200 $mA/cm^2$ for charging times of 5, 10, 25 and 50 hrs. Respectively, After hydrogen charging with experimental conditions, SP tests were performed. From the SP results, the correlations between the variation of bulb diameters and bulb heights with the hydrogen charging conditions were analysed. It was shown that the variation of bulb diameters were not significant with the hydrogen embrittlement due to the amounts of hydrogen charging. On the other hand, the bulb heights were observed to decrease with increasing hydrogen contents. It was thought that these results of the variation of bulb shapes after SP tests would be estimated as the index of evaluation of hydrogen embrittlement.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.284-288
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• 2012

A study on microstructure control of multi-phase steel have been implemented to higher strength with improved formability. However, it is well known that the high strength of steel are susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement. The mechanisms of hydrogen embrittlement is caused by complex interactions. In this paper, the test specimens were fabricated to 5 type of 590DP steels at different levels of volume faction. The hydrogen charging was conducted by electrochemical hydrogen-charge method with varying charging time. The relationship between hydrogen concentration and volume fraction of 590DP steel was established by SP test and SEM-fractography. It was shown that the hydrogen amounts charged in 590DP steels increased with increasing the volume faction of austenite. The maximum loads of the 590DP steels in SP test were sharply decreased with increasing hydrogen charging time. The results of SEM-fractography investigation showed typical brittle-fracture surfaces for hydrogen-charged 590DP steels.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.130-135
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• 2012

Hydrogen charging was electrochemically conducted at high strength DP steels and TRIP steel with varying charging time. The penetration depths and the mechanical properties with charging conditions were investigated through the distribution of micro-hardness and the microstructural observation of the subsurface zone. The micro-Vickers hardness was measured to evaluate the hydrogen embrittlement of subsurface zone in addition to the microscope investigation. It was shown that the hydrogen amounts decreased in DP steels and TRIP steel with increasing hydrogen charging time. As shown by micro-Vickers hardness test and small punch test results, micro-Vickers hardness and SP energy for DP steels and TRIP steel decreased with increasing hydrogen charging time, for constant value of charging current density. SEM investigation results for the hydrogen contained samples showed that the major fracture behavior was brittle fracture which results in dimples on fractured surface and the size of dimples were decreased with increasing hydrogen charging time. These results indicate that hydrogen embrittlement is the major cause for the fracture of high strength steels and also micro-Vickers hardness test and small punch test is a valuable test method for hydrogen embrittlement of high strength sheet steels.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.581-585
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• 2010

High strength sheet steels for automobile are seriously compromised by hydrogen embrittlement. This issue has been continuously studied, but the field of interest, which lies between microstructural characteristics and hydrogen behavior with hydrogen charging, has not yet been thoroughly investigated. This study was done to investigate the behavior of hydrogen according to the hydrogen volume fraction on 590MPa grade DP steels, which are developed under hydrogen charging conditions as high strength sheet steels for automobiles. The penetration depths and the mechanical properties, according to charging conditions, were investigated through the distribution of micro-hardness and the microstructural observation of the subsurface zone. It was found that the amount of hydrogen trapping in 590MPa DP steels was related to the austenite volume fraction. It was confirmed that the distribution of micro-hardnesses according to the depth of the subsurface zone under the free surface showed the relationship of the depth of the hydrogen saturation between the charging conditions.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.38-43
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• 2010

According to the lack of resources and the stringency of environmental regulations, a study of the high strength thin plate sheet steels for automobile have been become an important issue for automobile industry. However, the problem of hydrogen embrittlement of high strength sheet steels was concerned with the degradation of mechanical properties. Therefore, we studied the hydrogen behavior of surface layers of 590MPa DP sheet steels on development using by relationship the microstructure of subsurface and the distribution of micro hardnesses. Hydrogen was charged into the specimens using by the cathodic electrolytic method. The behavors of under surface layers were investigated by the observation of microstructures and the micro vickers hardness test with the amount of hydrogen charging with hydrogen charging conditions.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.212-217
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• 2012

High strength steel sheets used for automobile outer-panels have been intensively studied for developing a lightweight automobile under a strong pressure of the requirements for enhancing the mileage and energy saving in production of automobile parts. It is known that high strength steels are susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement, The susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement increases with increasing its strength. However, the effect of hydrogen on the fracture behavior of high strength steels, though investigated extensively, has not been fully understood. In this paper, hydrogen was charged with 590DP steels by electrochemical method and its content was measured by hydrogen determinator with the different charging conditions. It was shown that the SP energy and maximum load decreased with increasing charging time. The results of SEM-fractography investigation for the hydrogen contained samples showed that a small portion of dimples on cleavage-fractured surface were observed and the size of the dimples were decreased with increasing hydrogen charging time.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 2014

Small punch(SP) tests were performed on high strength Dual Phase(DP) steels in order to evaluate the behavior of hydrogen embrittlement. For this purpose, three different kinds of DP steel specimens were charged with hydrogen by electochemical hydrogen charging experiment. After charging with hydrogen, the amount of charged hydrogen was measured. The measurement results showed that amounts of charged hydrogen were largely dependent on the martensite volume fraction of DP steel. The hydrogen charging time of 25 hrs with current densities of 150 and $200mA/cm^2$ was investigated as saturation condition with hydrogen. The analysis results on the SP energy and height of SP bulbs after SP tests showed that those were decreased as the amount of charged hydrogen increased. Fractographs of SP bulbs were observed a brittle fracture mixed with quasi-cleavage fractures, layered structures and clear facets.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.126-132
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• 2013

It was investigated that the effects of hydrogen charging on the properties of 590 MPa Dual Phase(DP) steels at the surface layers. The hydrogen-charging time was changed from 5 to 50 hours and current densities from 100, 150, and 200 $mA/cm^2$, respectively. It was found that the hydrogen content in the specimen was increased with as the charging time and the current density. The microvickers hardness of the subsurface zone was increased from 215.3 HV to 239.5 HV due to the increase in current density and charging time. The comparison of the absorbed energies tested by a small-punch (SP) test showed that the absorbed energy of the specimen was greatly reduced from 436 to 283 $kgf-mm^2$ because of hydrogen embrittlement. It was confirmed that bulb aspects of fracture surface became more brittle with increasing hydrogen content.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.40-46
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• 2014

The hydrogen embrittlement degree of 5 type high strength DP steel charged with hydrogen by electrochemical method was evaluated by small punch test(SP test). After SP test, SP absorbed energy was remarkably decreased from 363 kgf-mm to 209 kgf-mm with increasing hydrogen charging time from 5hr to 50hr at DP5 specimen under the $200mA/cm^2$ current density condition. It was investigated that the decrease of hydrogen charging amount and SP absorbed energy according to the increase of current density and hydrogen charging time had a linear relationship. And it also investigated that the change of bulb height appeared by the SP test was decreased from 1.79mm to 1.59mm with the hydrogen charging conditions. It was supposed that it could be used as indicator of the evaluation of hydrogen embrittlement because of the similar trend of the formal results of SP absorbed energy. From the SEM observation of fracture area by crack in bulb, the morphology of fracture surface according to increasement of the hydrogen charging amount was varied with the cleavage mode.