Abstract
A model is developed for the kinetics of nucleation and growth of methane bubbles in the hydrogen attack of carbon steel. It is concluded that at high temperatures the time to incubate fissuring along grain boundaries is determined by the rate of iron diffusion away from microscopic growing bubbles. At lower temperatures and/or higher hydrogen pressures carbon supply is limiting. The equations fit the observed incubation times if the bubble density is high (~107/cm2) and essentially independent of temperature (T) and hydrogen pressure (P) over a wide range. It is postulated that the number of growing bubbles is limited at high nucleation rates (lowT and highP) by carbon starvation. At hiT and lowP chemisorption to lower the solid-vapor surface energy or fine inclusions are required to aid nucleation. A quantitative analysis of these processes leads to several predictions which can be checked experimentally.
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References
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Formerly Director, Division Material Research, National Science Foundation, Washington, DC
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Shewmon, P.G. Hydrogen attack of carbon steel. Metall Trans A 7, 279–286 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02644468
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02644468