Effect of Hydrogen on the Fracture Behavior of High-Strength Cr-Mo Steel

We examine the hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility of a high-strength AISI 4135 steel by means of a slow strain-rate test (SSRT) using notched round bar specimens. Hydrogen was introduced into the specimens by electrochemical charging and its content was measured by thermal desorption spectrometry (TDS). It was found that the maximum tensile stress decreased in a power law manner with increasing diffusible hydrogen content. Finite element method (FEM) calculations demonstrated that the peak value of the maximum principal stress and the peak value of the locally accumulated hydrogen concentration at the maximum tensile stress were in good agreement with one power law relationship for the specimens with different stress concentration factors.