Study on the Effect of Microstructure Gradients Caused by Heat Gradients on Hydrogen Embrittlement Sensitivity in Heavy Forgings

Abstract

The hydrogen embrittlement problem of alloy steel heavy forgings not only has the com-mon properties of general hydrogen embrittlement, but also has the characteristics brought by its scale characteristics. The research of hydrogen embrittlement, combined with its characteristics and commonness, is of vital importance for the service safety of engineering structures. The temperature field and microstructure distribution in the machining process were investigated through the simulation of a finite element. On this basis, the physical simulation experiments were carried out to obtain the microstructure of heavy forgings in radial directions. The hydrogen embrittlement sensitivity was characterized by electrochemical hydrogen charging and slow strain rate tests (SSRT). The microstruc-ture and fracture morphology of the samples were characterized to explore the law and mechanism of hydrogen embrittlement sensitivity gradient distribution along the axial direction. It is helpful to understand the hydrogen embrittlement of heavy forgings in order to guide engineering practice.