Abstract
Hydrogen-induced slow crack growth (SCG) was compared in austenitic and ferritic stainless steels at 0 to 125 degree C and 11 to 216 kPa of hydrogen gas. No SCG was observed for AISI 310, while AISI 301 was more susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement and had higher cracking velocity than AL 29-4-2. The kinetics of crack propagation are modeled in terms of hydrogen transport, a function of temperature, microstructure, and stress state in the embrittlement region. The mechanism of hydrogen-induced SCG is discussed based on hydrogen-enhanced plasticity.