Zirconium and its alloys were primary structure materials in nuclear industry. They often absorb H from environment and form hydrides. This will cause degradation of the materials. Here, H diffusion and hydride formation near to a blunt notch in a continuum were simulated by phase field models. The results agreed with the experiments.

The Phase Field Model for Hydrogen Diffusion and γ-Hydride Precipitation in Zirconium under Non-Uniformly Applied Stress. X.Q.Ma, S.Q.Shi, C.H.Woo, L.Q.Chen: Mechanics of Materials, 2006, 38[1-2], 3-10