The impact of hydrogen on the ductility loss of bainitic Fe–C alloys

The influence of hydrogen on the mechanical properties of generic lab-cast Fe-C bainitic alloys is studied by tensile tests on notched samples. The bainitic microstructure is induced in a 0.2% C and 0.4% C Fe-C alloy by an appropriate heat treatment. The hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility is evaluated by mechanical tests on both in situ hydrogen pre-charged and uncharged specimens. The observed ductility loss of the materials is correlated with the present amount of hydrogen and the hydrogen diffusion coefficient. In addition to the correlation between the amount of hydrogen and the hydrogen-induced ductility loss, the hydrogen diffusion during the tensile test, quantified by the hydrogen diffusion distance during the test, appears to be of major importance as well

Gas phase hydrogen permeation in alpha titanium and carbon steels

Commercially pure titanium and heats of Armco ingot iron and steels containing from 0.008-1.23 w/oC were annealed or normalized and machined into hollow cylinders. Coefficients of diffusion for alpha-Ti and alpha-Fe were determined by the lag-time technique. Steady state permeation experiments yield first power pressure dependence for alpha-Ti and Sievert's law square root dependence for Armco iron and carbon steels. As in the case of diffusion, permeation data confirm that alpha-titanium is subject to at least partial phase boundary reaction control while the steels are purely diffusion controlled. The permeation rate in steels also decreases as the carbon content increases. As a consequence of Sievert's law, the computed hydrogen solubility decreases as the carbon content increases. This decreases in explained in terms of hydrogen trapping at carbide interfaces. Oxidizing and nitriding the surfaces of alpha-titanium membranes result in a decrease in the permeation rate for such treatment on the gas inlet surfaces but resulted in a slight increase in the rate for such treatment on the gas outlet surfaces. This is explained in terms of a discontinuous TiH2 layer

EIS study of iron and steel corrosion in aqueous solutions at various concentrations of dissolved H2S : impact of oxygen contamination.

International audienceMildly acidic water containing dissolved H 2 S presents a strong risk in the cracking of low-carbon steels. Several studies on H 2 S cracking mechanisms have shown that the main driving force is linked to the ability of H 2 S to promote hydrogen entry into the bulk material. Standard test methods have been developed and published as NACE technical standards (e.g. NACE TM0284 and NACE TM0177) to aid materials selection in the oil and gas sector. Though it is recognized that oxygen pollution should be avoided during H 2 S cracking tests, there is a lack of experimental data to illustrate the effects of a small oxygen pollution. Dissolved oxygen concentrations greater than the recommended upper limit (50 parts per billion) can easily be obtained in the case of poor laboratory practices. This paper will focus on the interactions between oxygen and H 2 S on electrochemical behavior of unalloyed steel. A continuous O 2 injection at a level corresponding to 500 ppb is applied, together with H 2 S bubbling in our test solutions, for periods lasting the same order as SSC standard tests. Steel surface reaction phenomena/corrosion rates in H 2 S saturated solution, with or without oxygen pollution, are studied using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The evolution of corrosion rates obtained from impedance analysis was compared to two other independent methods: i/ weight loss measurements and, ii/ hydrogen permeation. Without O 2 pollution, a permeation efficiency of 100% was obtained, as expected. Permeation current density was thus found to match precisely with the corrosion current density determined by impedance analysis at different times. On the other hand, when a continuous O 2 pollution was added in the system, significantly higher corrosion rates were observed, associated with test solution acidification. At the same time, permeation efficiency was decreased by up to one order of magnitude

Effect of membrane thickness on hydrogen permeation in steels during wet H2S exposure

International audienceThe permeation of hydrogen in steel in the presence of acid gases is not a simple phenomenon as the steel may contain trapping sites and also because the permeation may be governed by surface reactions associated with corrosion. Recently, hydrogen permeation experiments carried out at the corrosion potential have shown a constant flux for various membrane thicknesses in the range 0.05-0.8 mm. These results revealed the difficulty to express the flux for thicker steel membrane (i.e. pipe) from laboratory studies on thin membranes, as the classical rule (flux proportional to the inverse of the membrane thickness) is not always applicable and not conservative. This paper presents new permeation results, obtained on steel membranes up to 10 mm thick. The transition between thin and thick membranes is clearly established, and is in the millimeter range in sour conditions. The necessity to adopt a new interpretative framework to link permeation measurements and hydrogen cracking mechanisms is reinforced. For thin membranes, the permeation flux is constant and governed only by the charging flux crossing the entry face. This surface mechanism is probably correlated with surface cracking mode, like SSC

Corrosion of Cable Suspension Bridges

This report discusses corrosion problems encountered on the cables of suspension bridges. A historical review is given of past cable suspension bridge corrosion and related laboratory work. Findings of inspections of suspension bridges at Maysville, KY, Covington, KY, and Portsmouth, OH, are discussed. Recommendations are presented

Liquid rocket metal tanks and tank components

Significant guidelines are presented for the successful design of aerospace tanks and tank components, such as expulsion devices, standpipes, and baffles. The state of the art is reviewed, and the design criteria are presented along with recommended practices. Design monographs are listed

The use of ALD and PVD coatings as defect sealants to increase the corrosion resistance of thermal spray coatings

Thermal spray coatings are widely used to improve the surface properties of materials, in particular the wear and oxidation resistance. Nevertheless, the corrosion resistance is slightly increased due to the fact that this type of coatings present some internal defects (pores, cracks) that allow the corrosive media to penetrate up to the substrate, that undergoes to corrosion degradation. The amount of these defects is strongly influenced by both the deposition technique and the material deposited. The aim of this work is to seal the internal porosities of the thermal spray coatings by the use of both PVD and ALD coatings or the combination of the two. The thermal spray coating analysed in this work is a pure alumina coating, deposited by Air Plasma Spray (APS) technique, that has been sealed with CrN coating, deposited by PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) technique, and/or TiO2 coatings, deposited by ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition). The substrate used is a common medium C steel. The samples were then characterized in order to determine the microstructure (SEM+EDXS, light microscope) and the chemical composition (Rf-GDOES elemental profiling), that is important to determine the depth of penetration of the PVD and/or ALD coating inside the thermal spray deposit. Afterwards, a detailed electrochemical characterization in 3,5wt% NaCl aqueous solution was performed to verify the efficiency of the sealant treatment. In detail, a monitor in function of the time of the OCP potential was performed up to 24h of immersion time. In addition, potentiodynamic tests were performed using a 3 electrode electrochemical cell (CE: Pt wire, RE: Ag/AgCl). The same tests were then performed on the same samples that present an artificial defect produced by Rf-GDOES. The main goal of these tests is to determine the maximum depth of a defect that can allow the corrosive media to penetrate the thermal spray coating. Preliminary results showed that the use of PVD and ALD coatings as sealants can reduce the permeation of the corrosive media on the substrate

A critical review of the influence of hydrogen on the mechanical properties of medium-strength steels

As medium-strength steels are promising candidates for the hydrogen economy, it is important to understand their interaction with hydrogen. However, there are only a limited number of investigations on the behavior of medium-strength steels in hydrogen. The existing literature indicates that the influences of hydrogen on the tensile properties of medium-strength steels are mainly the following: (i) the steel can be hardened by hydrogen, as demonstrated by an increase in the yield stress or ultimate tensile stress; (ii) some steels can be embrittled by hydrogen, as revealed by lower yield stress or ultimate tensile stress; (iii) in most cases, these steels may experience hydrogen embrittlement (HE), as indicated by a reduction in ductility. The degree of HE mainly depends on the test conditions and the steel. The embrittlement can lead to catastrophic brittle fracture in service. The influence of hydrogen on the fatigue properties of medium-strength steels is dependent on many factors such as the stress ratio, temperature, yield stress of the steel, and test frequency. Generally, the hydrogen influence on fatigue limit is small, whereas hydrogen can accelerate the fatigue crack growth rate, leading to a shorter fatigue life. Inclusions are an important factor influencing the properties of medium-strength steels in the presence of hydrogen. However, it is not possible to predict the influence of hydrogen for any particular steel that has not been experimentally evaluated or to predict service performance. It is not known why similar steels can have different behavior, ranging from good resistance to significant embrittlement. A better understanding of the microstructural characteristics is needed

Two-Phase Working Fluids for the Temperature Range 50 to 350 C

The decomposition and corrosion of two-phase heat transfer liquids and metal envelopes have been investigated on the basis of molecular bond strengths and chemical thermodynamics. Potentially stable heat transfer fluids for the temperature range 100 C to 350 C have been identified, and reflux heat pipes tests initiated with 10 fluids and carbon steel and aluminum envelopes to experimentally establish corrosion behavior and noncondensable gas generation rates