This study conducted by Xinfeng Li et al. in 2024 addresses the critical issue of hydrogen embrittlement (HE), a significant threat to alloys exposed to hydrogen-containing environments. The research focuses on the role of microstructural interfaces, such as grain boundaries (GB), twin boundaries (TB), and matrix/nano-precipitate interfaces (coherent, semi-coherent, and incoherent), in determining HE susceptibility. These interfaces play a crucial role in the material's response to hydrogen. The study reviews hydrogen-GB interactions (dominant HE mechanisms, crystallographic features of hydrogen-assisted intergranular cracking, and strategies for enhancing HE resistance through GB segregation and GB engineering), hydrogen-TB interactions (the effect of deformation/pre-existing twins on HE susceptibility, four types of TB-related cracking mechanisms, and improving HE tolerance by controlling pre-twins, gradient twins, and twin orientations), and hydrogen-precipitate interactions (hydrogen capacity, hydrogen trapping sites, hydrogen activation energy, and the effect of nano-precipitates on HE). The correlation between HE susceptibility, active HE mechanisms, and their synergy (HELP + HEDE model) with these three types of interfaces is comprehensively summarized and discussed. Additionally, strategies for improving HE resistance through the control of these microstructural interfaces in metallic alloys are proposed.
#HydrogenEmbrittlement #GrainBoundary #TwinBoundary #NanoPrecipitate #HELP_HEDE
For a detailed review, you can access the related study here.