Hydrogen trapping and embrittlement of a high-carbon steel after quenching and high-temperature tempering

IF 7.4 1区材料科学 Q1 MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Corrosion Science Pub Date : 2025-10-11 DOI:10.1016/j.corsci.2025.113408

Jiahao Zhu, Xiaoyuan Li, Wenchao Yu, Xiaofei He, Yongming Yan, Jie Shi, Maoqiu Wang

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Abstract

High-carbon steels after quenching and tempering face hydrogen embrittlement (HE) risk due to their high strength and low ductility. This study investigates hydrogen trapping behavior and HE susceptibility in a quenched and tempered high-carbon steel by means of thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS), hydrogen microprinting technique (HMT), and slow strain rate tensile (SSRT) tests. Results demonstrate that dislocations act as the primary reversible hydrogen trapping sites, and hydrogen uptake decreases with the decrease of dislocation density from 3.26 × 10¹² cm⁻² in the as-quenched specimen to 4.74 × 10⁸ cm⁻² in the specimen tempered at 600 ℃. Cementite/matrix interfaces act as irreversible hydrogen trapping sites, where hydrogen adsorption is governed by heterogeneous strain fields near the interfaces. SSRT results reveal that the specimen tempered at 540 ℃ exhibits high HE susceptibility, with elongation decreasing from 8.9 % to 3.6 % after hydrogen charging. In contrast, the specimen tempered at 600 ℃ retains superior ductility under identical charging conditions, with elongation decreasing from 15.4 % to 12.9 %. HE susceptibility of the experimental steel shows an exponential dependence on hydrogen content, with the fracture mode transitions driven by synergistic hydrogen-enhanced localized plasticity (HELP) and hydrogen-enhanced decohesion (HEDE) mechanisms. This work indicates that optimizing dislocation density and interfacial strain states can effectively mitigate HE risk of high-carbon steels.

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高碳钢淬火和高温回火后的氢捕获和脆化

高碳钢由于其高强度和低延展性，在淬火回火后面临氢脆的危险。本研究通过热解吸光谱（TDS）、氢微打印技术（HMT）和慢应变速率拉伸（SSRT）测试研究了淬火回火高碳钢的氢捕获行为和HE敏感性。结果表明，位错是主要的可逆氢捕获位点，随着位错密度的减小，吸氢量减小，从淬火时的3.26 × 1012 cm−2减少到600 ℃回火时的4.74 × 108 cm−2。渗碳体/基体界面作为不可逆的氢捕获位点，其氢吸附受界面附近的非均相应变场控制。SSRT结果表明，经540 ℃回火的试样具有较高的HE敏感性，充氢后伸长率从8.9 %下降到3.6 %。相比之下，在600 ℃回火的试样在相同的充电条件下保持了良好的延展性，伸长率从15.4 %下降到12.9 %。实验钢的HE敏感性与氢含量呈指数依赖关系，断裂模式转变由协同氢增强局部塑性（HELP）和氢增强脱粘（HEDE）机制驱动。研究表明，优化位错密度和界面应变状态可以有效降低高碳钢的HE风险。

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来源期刊

Corrosion Science 工程技术-材料科学：综合

CiteScore

13.60

自引率

18.10%

发文量

763

审稿时长

46 days

期刊介绍： Corrosion occurrence and its practical control encompass a vast array of scientific knowledge. Corrosion Science endeavors to serve as the conduit for the exchange of ideas, developments, and research across all facets of this field, encompassing both metallic and non-metallic corrosion. The scope of this international journal is broad and inclusive. Published papers span from highly theoretical inquiries to essentially practical applications, covering diverse areas such as high-temperature oxidation, passivity, anodic oxidation, biochemical corrosion, stress corrosion cracking, and corrosion control mechanisms and methodologies. This journal publishes original papers and critical reviews across the spectrum of pure and applied corrosion, material degradation, and surface science and engineering. It serves as a crucial link connecting metallurgists, materials scientists, and researchers investigating corrosion and degradation phenomena. Join us in advancing knowledge and understanding in the vital field of corrosion science.