Effects of hydrogen diffusion on the mechanical properties of austenite 316L steel at ambient temperature

Abstract

This study examined how the strain rate affects the room-temperature tensile behavior of hydrogen-charged 316L stainless steels. A hightemperature homogenization treatment was applied to the specimens after hydrogen charging and copper electroplating to remove the hydrogen concentration gradient. A softening phenomenon was observed in the hardening behavior of the H-charged and homogenized specimen at a strain rate of 2 × 10-3/s. The observation was further confirmed by an inspection of the fracture surface of the tensile test specimen. © 2011 The Japan Institute of Metals.