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Effect of in-situ nanoparticles on the mechanical properties and hydrogen embrittlement of high-strength steel

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Abstract

We investigated the critical influence of in-situ nanoparticles on the mechanical properties and hydrogen embrittlement (HE) of high-strength steel. The results reveal that the mechanical strength and elongation of quenched and tempered steel (919 MPa yield strength, 17.11% elongation) are greater than those of hot-rolled steel (690 MPa yield strength, 16.81% elongation) due to the strengthening effect of in-situ Ti3O5-Nb(C,N) nanoparticles. In addition, the HE susceptibility is substantially mitigated to 55.52%, approximately 30% lower than that of steels without in-situ nanoparticles (84.04%), which we attribute to the heterogeneous nucleation of the Ti3O5 nanoparticles increasing the density of the carbides. Compared with hard TiN inclusions, the spherical and soft Al2O3-MnS core—shell inclusions that nucleate on in-situ Al2O3 particles could also suppress HE. In-situ nanoparticles generated by the regional trace-element supply have strong potential for the development of high-strength and hydrogen-resistant steels.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the financial support received from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. U1706221, 51922002, and 51771025), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. FRF-TP-17-19-003C1Z). Author R. Shi would like to acknowledge the special sponsor for the Research Student Attachment Program from the graduate school of the University of Science and Technology Beijing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Materials Genome Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China

    Rong-jian Shi, Li-jie Qiao & Xiao-lu Pang

  2. Corrosion and Protection Center, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China

    Rong-jian Shi & Li-jie Qiao

  3. School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China

    Zi-dong Wang & Xiao-lu Pang

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  1. Rong-jian Shi
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Shi, Rj., Wang, Zd., Qiao, Lj. et al. Effect of in-situ nanoparticles on the mechanical properties and hydrogen embrittlement of high-strength steel. Int J Miner Metall Mater 28, 644–656 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-020-2157-2

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