Initiation of hydrogen induced cracks at secondary phase particles

The goal of this work is to propose a general mechanism for hydrogen induced crack initiation in steels based on a microstructural study of multiple steel grades. Four types of steels with strongly varying microstructures are studied for this purpose, i.e. ultra low carbon (ULC) steel, TRIP (transformation induced plasticity) steel, Fe-C-Ti generic alloy, and pressure vessel steel. A strong dependency of the initiation of hydrogen induced cracks on the microstructural features in the materials is observed. By use of SEM-EBSD characterization, initiation is found to always occur at the hard secondary phase particles in the materials

Effect of film-forming amines on the acidic stress-corrosion cracking resistance of steam turbine steel

This work evaluates the effect of film-forming amines (FFA) on the acidic stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) resistance of NiCrMoV turbine steel. Contact angle measurements show an increased hydrophobicity of the surface when coating the steel with oleyl propylene diamine (OLDA). According to potentiodynamic measurements and post-mortem scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, anodic dissolution and hydrogen embrittlement still occur when the steel is FFA coated. In situ constant extension rate testing (CERT) in acidic aqueous environment at elevated temperature of FFA-coated steel shows a ductility gain compared to non-coated steel, explained by a decrease in both corrosion rate and hydrogen uptake

The role of titanium and vanadium based precipitates on hydrogen induced degradation of ferritic materials

The hydrogen induced damage of generic Fe-C-Ti and Fe-C-V ferritic alloys was investigated to assess the influence of precipitates on the hydrogen sensitivity of a material. The precipitates, formed during heat treatment, were evaluated by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The hydrogen/material interaction was evaluated by: 1) melt and hot extraction to determine the total and diffusible hydrogen content, respectively, 2) permeation experiments to calculate the diffusion coefficient, 3) thermal desorption spectroscopy to determine the hydrogen trapping characteristics of the materials. Furthermore, two different types of hydrogen induced damage were evaluated, i.e. hydrogen assisted cracking and blistering, resulting from electrochemical hydrogen charging with and without the application of an external load, respectively. Evaluation of the hydrogen induced damage and the role of the precipitates was performed by combining optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). An important though divertive role of diffusible hydrogen is observed in both damage mechanisms for the investigated microstructures. On the one hand, a large amount of diffusible hydrogen compared to strongly trapped hydrogen promotes hydrogen assisted cracking of materials, while on the other hand, the blistering phenomenon is delayed under such conditions

Dual signal transduction pathways activated by TSH receptors in rat primary tanycyte cultures

Tanycytes play multiple roles in hypothalamic functions, including sensing peripheral nutrients and metabolic hormones, regulating neurosecretion and mediating seasonal cycles of reproduction and metabolic physiology. This last function reflects the expression of TSH receptors in tanycytes, which detect photoperiod-regulated changes in TSH secretion from the neighbouring pars tuberalis. The present overall aim was to determine the signal transduction pathway by which TSH signals in tanycytes. Expression of the TSH receptor in tanycytes of 10-day-old Sprague Dawley rats was observed by in situ hybridisation. Primary ependymal cell cultures prepared from 10-day-old rats were found by immunohistochemistry to express vimentin but not GFAP and by PCR to express mRNA for Dio2, Gpr50, Darpp-32 and Tsh receptors that are characteristic of tanycytes. Treatment of primary tanycyte/ependymal cultures with TSH (100 IU/l) increased cAMP as assessed by ELISA and induced a cAMP-independent increase in the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 as assessed by western blot analysis. Furthermore, TSH (100 IU/l) stimulated a 2.17-fold increase in Dio2 mRNA expression. We conclude that TSH signal transduction in cultured tanycytes signals via Gαs to increase cAMP and via an alternative G protein to increase phosphorylation of ERK1/2