Mechanism and Suppression Method of Hydrogen Entry into Steel by Blasting

The effect of blasting on hydrogen analysis was investigated with the aim of establishing a hydrogen analysis method for precisely measuring hydrogen that entered steel in a corrosive environment. The hydrogen existing states of the specimens blasted under various conditions were analyzed using thermal desorption analysis and the hydrogen visualization method by secondary ion mass spectrometry. The phenomenon of hydrogen entry into steel by blasting was demonstrated for the first time. It should be noted that the effect is remarkable in the case of a specimen with a large specific surface area, and the blasting becomes an inhibitory agent in the measurement of the hydrogen content in steel. The hydrogen source for increasing the hydrogen content due to blasting is mainly the water contained in the abrasive. The mechanism of increasing the hydrogen content in steel by blasting is that the fresh surface of the steel exposed by blasting reacts with the water in the abrasive, which results in the hydrogen generation and entry into steel. Additionally, the water in the abrasive remaining on the steel surface reacts with steel during the thermal desorption analysis to release hydrogen. To suppress the increase of hydrogen content by blasting, it is effective to use abrasive with low water content and to remove rust by repeating a short blasting time in order to suppress the temperature rise of the specimen.