Hydrogen Embrittlement of Ferritic Steel 1.4104

The primary goal of this study was to investigate laboratory techniques for hydrogenating selected steels and to examine the hydrogen embrittlement of steel 1.4104. These processes, which involve hydrogenation and subsequent mechanical testing, are rarely performed in laboratories due to the need for precise, costly equipment and the inherent risks associated with hydrogen’s highly reactive and explosive nature.

Various theories have been proposed to explain the mechanisms behind hydrogen embrittlement in steels. These theories attribute material degradation to hydrogen’s interaction with the steel microstructure. However, their applicability is often limited, as they are developed for specific conditions and may not fully describe the phenomenon under different scenarios.

This work focused on hydrogenating steel 1.4104 using two distinct methods: immersion and cathodic. The aim was to induce embrittlement and compare the resulting fracture surfaces, particularly after conducting Charpy impact tests, to evaluate the effects of each hydrogenation method.