Hydrogen effects on the tensile properties of 21-6-9 stainless steel

Abstract

The effect of hydrogen on the mechanical properties of a series of nineteen experimental heats of 21-6-9 stainless steel was investigated. The nineteen material groups covered a variety of forging processes, strength levels, grain sizes, and microstructures. The data show that absorbed hydrogen acts as an interstitial strengthener which increases the flow stress of 21-6-9 similar to the effects of carbon, nitrogen, and other interstitial atoms. The true stress for tensile instability was observed to be ∼1130 MPa for both uncharged and hydrogen charged specimens and appeared to be independent of process variables. Thermal charging and/or tensile testing in high pressure hydrogen indicates this austenitic stainless steel is susceptible to hydrogen-induced cracking at grain boundaries, slip bands, and other interfaces. A lack of hydrogen-induced effects at true stresses below 1100 MPa indicates a lower limit for the hydrogen-induced reduction in interfacial strength. Above a true stress of 1100 MPa the extent of hydrogen induced reductions in interfacial strength is dependent on hydrogen concentration and increases as the hydrogen concentration increases. These observations are discussed in terms of several proposed hydrogen embrittlement theories.