Lattice defects dominating hydrogen-related failure of metals

The factor that plays the essential role in hydrogen-related failure has been examined for Inconel 625 and iron by means of tensile testing with interposed unloading and reloading with/without hydrogen charging. Aging at 30 °C or annealing at 200 °C was conducted during the unloaded stage in order to diffuse out hydrogen or to anneal out strain-induced defects. Hydrogen thermal desorption analysis was used to evaluate strain-induced defects that act as trapping sites of hydrogen. Fracture strain decreased in the initially hydrogen-charged specimens even though hydrogen was absent at the late stage of straining. Annealing at 200 °C at the unloaded stage almost completely recovered the decrease in fracture strain. Enhancement of strain-induced defects by hydrogen and their involvement in degradation were revealed by means of hydrogen thermal desorption analysis. The results provide direct evidence of the primary role of vacancies rather than hydrogen itself in hydrogen degradation, and agree well with the hydrogen-enhanced strain-induced vacancy model with respect to the mechanism of hydrogen-related failure.