Experimental investigation of hydrogen embrittlement to stainless steel charged by sulfuric acid at ±20°C

Amar, ABBOUB University Of Mustap

doi:10.21608/jisse.2024.237875.1086

Experimental investigation of hydrogen embrittlement to stainless steel charged by sulfuric acid at ±20°C

Document Type : Original Article

Author

ABBOUB University of mustap Amar

Department of mechanical and engineering, Faculty of sciences and technologiy, B.p 305 road of mamounia mascara 29000, University of mustapha stambouli - Algeria

10.21608/jisse.2024.237875.1086

Abstract

The penetration and trapping of hydrogen within metallic materials can lead to damage and degradation of mechanical properties during the operating phase. Much more in the energy, chemical, and petrochemical industries sectors, these types of metallic materials, widely used in aggressive hydrogenated environments, undergo degradation. In this present experimental work, we studied the influence of charged hydrogen on the mechanical behaviour in tensile of a highly alloyed austenitic stainless steel of the commercial grade AISI304L was prepared in the form of standardized cylindrical type specimens of 8mm diameter were manufactured by machining. Their hydrogen loading was carried out electrolytically according to industrial conditions adopted at different pre-charging times in hours in a Pyrex glass enclosure containing an aqueous solution of purely sulfuric acid H2SO4 at 0.1N and equipped with two electrodes, one cathode connected to the test specimen, an unattackable platinum anode with a chosen current density equal to 100mA/Cm2. The mechanical fracture tests were carried out using an instrumented tensile machine with a maximum load of 400KN and a nominal displacement speed of 23mm/min. The microscopic analyses of the samples were carried out by different techniques: optical microscopy (OM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the results obtained in agreement with the work of the different authors who showed loss of ductility due to martensitic transformation of austenite caused by deformation and sensitivity by diffusion and hydrogen trapping.

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