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Influence of nitrogen alloying on hydrogen embrittlement in AISI 304-type stainless steels

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Abstract

Hydrogen embrittlement of AISI 304-type austenitic stainless steels has been studied with special emphasis on the effects of the nitrogen content of the steels. Hydrogen charging was found to degrade the mechanical properties of all the steels studied, as measured by a tensile test. The fracture surfaces of hydrogen charged specimens were brittle cleavage-like whereas the uncharged specimens showed ductile, dimpled fracture. In sensitized materials transgranular cleavage mode of fracture was replaced by an intergranular mode of fracture and the losses of mechanical properties were higher. Nitrogen alloying decreased the hydrogen-induced losses of mechanical properties by increasing the stability of austenite. In sensitized steels the stability of austenite and nitrogen content were found to have only a minor effect on hydrogen embrittlement, except when sensitization had causedα′-martensite transformation at the grain boundaries.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, 14853, Ithaca, NY

    Simo-Pekka Hannula (Research Fellow)

  2. Technical Research Centre of Finland, Metals Laboratory, Metallimiehenkuja 6, SF-02150, Espoo, Finland

    Hannu Hänninen (Research Officer) & Seppo Tähtinen (Research Officer)

Authors
  1. Simo-Pekka Hannula
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  2. Hannu Hänninen
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  3. Seppo Tähtinen
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Formerly with Helsinki University of Technology, Laboratory of Physical Metallurgy, SF-02150 Espoo 15, Finland.

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Hannula, SP., Hänninen, H. & Tähtinen, S. Influence of nitrogen alloying on hydrogen embrittlement in AISI 304-type stainless steels. Metall Trans A 15, 2205–2211 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02647103

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02647103

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