Investigating the effects of hydrogen trapping on hydrogen environment-assisted cracking of vanadium-added steels

IF 5 2区工程技术 Q1 ENGINEERING, MECHANICAL

Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics Pub Date : 2025-01-20 DOI:10.1016/j.tafmec.2025.104851

Gabriel Vanni , Leonardo Simoni , Tárique H. Schneider , Henrique R.P. Cardoso , Rômulo F.G Rigoni , Daniel C.F. Ferreira , Adriano Scheid , Carlos E.F. Kwietniewski

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Current standards and technical specifications typically limit the maximum hardness of steels under subsea cathodic protection. However, hydrogen trapping has recently gained attention for mitigating hydrogen embrittlement. This study investigates the potential of hydrogen trapping to enhance hydrogen environment-assisted cracking (HEAC) resistance of vanadium-added steels under cathodic protection conditions. The investigation includes nano/microstructural characterization, electrochemical hydrogen permeation, and thermal desorption analyses. HEAC resistance is evaluated through fracture toughness tests under cathodic polarization. AISI 4330 V steel is evaluated at both acceptable and higher hardness levels than those allowed by current standards. Additionally, a modified version of a similar steel designed to enhance hydrogen trapping is studied. Hydrogen trapping is mainly related to the presence of carbides in each alloy. Even though the types and characteristics of carbides differ among steels, the de-trapping activation energy is not significantly altered. Instead, the primary factor influencing the hydrogen trapping behavior is the density of traps. Although steels with hardness levels higher than accepted standards exhibited larger trapping capacity, it does not necessarily result in enhanced the HEAC resistance. For the materials considered here, fracture toughness is not enhanced by a higher trapping capacity when materials with similar hardness level are tested under cathodic protection conditions at –1,100 mV_SCE. At this potential, HELP + HEDE mechanisms are evident for the lower hardness condition, while HEDE mechanism is observed for the higher hardness level. Nevertheless, at less negative potentials (−900 and –780 mV_SCE), the steel trapping ability can account for increased HEAC resistance and a transition from HEDE to HELP + HEDE mechanisms.

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来源期刊

Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics 工程技术-工程：机械

CiteScore

8.40

自引率

18.90%

发文量

435

审稿时长

37 days

期刊介绍： Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics'' aims & scopes have been re-designed to cover both the theoretical, applied, and numerical aspects associated with those cracking related phenomena taking place, at a micro-, meso-, and macroscopic level, in materials/components/structures of any kind. The journal aims to cover the cracking/mechanical behaviour of materials/components/structures in those situations involving both time-independent and time-dependent system of external forces/moments (such as, for instance, quasi-static, impulsive, impact, blasting, creep, contact, and fatigue loading). Since, under the above circumstances, the mechanical behaviour of cracked materials/components/structures is also affected by the environmental conditions, the journal would consider also those theoretical/experimental research works investigating the effect of external variables such as, for instance, the effect of corrosive environments as well as of high/low-temperature.