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The effect of the pre-strain on hydrogen embrittlement (HE) of high strength steels was investigated by slow strain-rate tensile (SSRT). The specimens were electrochemically hydrogen-charged in 0.5 mol/L H 2 SO 4 with 1 g/L CH 4 N 2 S at room temperature for 24 h. It is found that the amount of hydrogen increases linearly with the exponent of pre-strain, i.e., C H = 11.963 + 0.00385 exp ( 1.144 ε P ) . The HE susceptibility of the alloy initially decreases and then increases with increasing pre-strain. The ultimate tensile strength for the hydrogen-charged specimen is highest in the 3% pre-strain, which is interpreted by competition between strain hardening and Hydrogen Enhanced Decohesion (HEDE) mechanism. The fracture mode shows a mixed mode fracture of quasi-cleavage and intergranular fracture for hydrogen-charged specimens while the fracture mode exhibits dimples for hydrogen-free specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstact The tensile properties and fracture behaviors of the pre-charged hydrogen low alloy steel subjected to various tempering temperatures were investigated by slow strain rate tensile tests. Hydrogen was introduced into the samples by electrochemical method in 0.5 mol L −1 NaOH solution with 1 g L −1 CH 4 N 2 S for 24 h at room temperature (298 K). The results show that with an increase in tempering temperature, the resistance to hydrogen embrittlement increases. For the sample tempered at 200 °C, hydrogen-assisted microcracks initiate at the lath boundaries and the interfaces between inclusions and matrix. Moreover, the void around the inclusion initiates at the matrix-inclusion interface and grows in the form of the interface decohesion for hydrogen free sample, while the void also starts at the interfaces and propagates into the steel matrix along vertical tensile stress direction in the presence of hydrogen. Fractography reveals that for hydrogen-charged samples, the crack originates from mixed O-Si-Al-Ca inclusions in the samples tempered at 200 °C and 400 °C, while it is not located at inclusions in the sample tempered at 650 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]