Abstract
In the present study, the influence of hydrogen on the fatigue behavior of the high strength martensitic stainless steel X3CrNiMo13-4 and the metastable austenitic stainless steels X2Crni19-11 with various nickel contents was examined in the low and high cycle fatigue regime. The focus of the investigations were the changes in the mechanisms of short crack propagation. Experiments in laboratory air with uncharged and precharged specimen and uncharged specimen in pressurized hydrogen were carried out. The aim of the ongoing investigation was to determine and quantitatively describe the predominant processes of hydrogen embrittlement and their influence on the short fatigue crack morphology and crack growth rate. In addition, simulations were carried out on the short fatigue crack growth, in order to develop a detailed insight into the hydrogen embrittlement mechanisms relevant for cyclic loading conditions. It was found that a lower nickel content and a higher martensite content of the samples led to a higher susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement. In addition, crack propagation and crack path could be simulated well with the simulation model.
Highlights
The demand for more efficient and cleaner technologies provides the impulse to establish hydrogen as an energy carrier, for example in the automotive sector
Comparing the crack initiation sites in the X2–12, it is found that cracks are initiated at grain boundary triple points on hydrogen-precharged samples, as well as on cracks are initiated at grain boundary triple points on hydrogen-precharged samples, as well as on uncharged samples of helium below 10 MPa
The simulation results were compared with the experimental investigations on the uncharged specimen (Figure 14a) in order to obtain the constants from the crack growth laws according to Equations (4) and (5)
Summary
The demand for more efficient and cleaner technologies provides the impulse to establish hydrogen as an energy carrier, for example in the automotive sector. This field of applications has already been the center of research for a long time, where an important focus is put on a reliable and safe fatigue life prediction for weight-optimized and cyclically loaded components. The combination of mechanical stress and hydrogen environment can lead to more rapid material failure resulting from hydrogen embrittlement effects For this application, a good knowledge about the short crack propagation during the LCF-/HCF regime is necessary. It is known for austenitic stainless steels that hydrogen can lead to a reduction of the total lifetime [3]
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