Mechanisms of hydrogen embrittlement under multiaxial stress/strain fields framework: a review
Wenhao Li, Xiaoya Sun, Yitong Zhao, Mengjia Song, Xiaotian Dong, Yanqi Tu, Zhiyu Du, Kewei Gao, Xiaolin Liu, Rongjian Shi, Xiaolu PangPurpose
The purpose of this study is to analyze the stress-strain fields of defects in different dimensions, and to summarize their relationship with hydrogen embrittlement.
Design/methodology/approach
This study proposes a dynamic framework centered on stress fields, conceptualizing defects as stress concentration regions operating across multiple scales.
Findings
At the one-dimensional level, modifying dislocation cores and reducing Peierls barrier heights enables the formation of Cottrell atmospheres and the activation of the hydrogen-enhanced localized plasticity effect. On the two-dimensional level, coincidence site lattice boundaries and low-angle grain boundaries contribute to preventing hydrogen buildup by smoothing out stress distributions. In three-dimensional, factors such as lattice misfit and residual stresses arising from phase transformations make it possible to differentiate between shallow traps at interfaces and deeper.
Originality/value
This study introduces a unified, scale-resolved framework that systematically links one-dimensional dislocation dynamics, two-dimensional grain boundary misorientation effects and three-dimensional carbide interface trapping mechanisms through a common stress-field perspective, offering an integrated multiscale understanding of hydrogen embrittlement that transcends isolated defect analyses.