Austenitic stainless steel samples which were alloyed with various N contents were studied by using X-ray diffraction, internal friction and Mössbauer spectroscopic techniques. The internal friction spectrum of hydrogenated stable austenitic stainless steels consisted of 5 peaks; 3 of which were of relaxation type, while the other 2 corresponded to hysteretic processes. The H-induced relaxation in austenite could be explained by a Snoek-like mechanism that involved the reorientation of complexes of H atoms with substitutional solutes. The concepts of H-H reorientation and H-induced Snoek-Köster relaxation in austenite were not confirmed. The addition of N prevented the relaxation that was related to the short-range migration of H atoms. Hysteretic damping was caused by the out-gassing of H from the samples.

V.G.Gavriljuk, H.Hänninen, A.V.Tarasenko, A.S.Tereshchenko, K.Ullakko: Acta Metallurgica et Materialia, 1995, 43[2], 559-68