The effect of hydrogen charging on the mechanical behaviour of 5083 wrought aluminum alloy

The effect of hydrogen cathodic charging on the mechanical behaviour of 5083 wrought aluminum alloy has been studied. Hardening of the surface layers of the examined alloy, due to hydrogen absorption, was observed. The tensile tests revealed that the ductility of 5083 wrought aluminum alloy decreased with increasing hydrogen charging time, for a constant value of charging current density, and with increasing charging current density, for a constant value of charging time. However, the ultimate tensile strength of the examined alloy was slightly affected by the hydrogen charging procedure. The cathodically charged 5083 wrought aluminum alloy exhibited brittle transgranular fracture at the surface layers and ductile intergranular fracture at the deeper layers of the alloy.