Research Reveals the Nature of Fractures Caused by Hydrogen in High-Strength Steel
TOKYO—One of the many ways to reduce the energy required for transportation is to make vehicles lighter. High-strength (HS) steels are perfect materials for this purpose, as their higher weight-to-strength ratio allows for the use of less metal to achieve a similar structural integrity. Many automobile companies believe HS steels will be essential for building cars in the future.
However, for this to become a reality, a glaring problem must be solved. When HS steel is exposed to water or hydrogen, a phenomenon known as hydrogen embrittlement occurs. Hydrogen atoms diffuse into the lattice structure of the material and progressively weaken it, making it more prone to failure under mechanical stress.