Ferrite effects on the hydrogen embrittlement of 17-4PH stainless steel
Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials
ISSN: 0003-5599
Article publication date: 11 April 2022
Issue publication date: 14 April 2022
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of ferrite on hydrogen embrittlement (HE) of the 17-4PH stainless steels.
Design/methodology/approach
The effects of ferrite on HE of the 17-4PH stainless steels were investigated by observing microstructure and conducting slow-strain-rate tensile tests and hydrogen permeability tests.
Findings
The microstructure of the ferrite-bearing sample is lath martensite and banded ferrite, and the ferrite-free sample is lath martensite. After hydrogen charging, the plasticity of the two steels is significantly reduced, along with the tensile strength of the ferrite-free sample. The HE susceptibility of the ferrite-bearing sample is significantly lower than the ferrite-free steel, and the primary fracture modes gradually evolved from typical dimple to quasi-cleavage and intergranular cracking. After aging at 480°C for 4 h and hydrogen charging for 12 h, the 40.9% HE susceptibility of ferrite-bearing samples was the lowest. In addition, the hydrogen permeation tests show that ferrite is a fast diffusion channel for hydrogen, and the ferrite-bearing samples have higher effective hydrogen diffusivity and lower hydrogen concentration.
Originality/value
There are a few studies of the ferrite effect on the HE properties of martensitic precipitation hardening stainless steel.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research was financially supported by the Basic and Applied Basic Research Major Project of Guangdong Province, China (2019B030302011) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51971034 and 51771026).
Citation
Zheng, Y., Sun, H., Yan, L., Yang, H., Gao, K., Pang, X. and Volinsky, A.A. (2022), "Ferrite effects on the hydrogen embrittlement of 17-4PH stainless steel", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 69 No. 3, pp. 331-338. https://doi.org/10.1108/ACMM-03-2022-2615
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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