Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The mechanism of nucleation of hydrogen blister in metals

  • Articles
  • Metallic Material
  • Published:
Chinese Science Bulletin

Abstract

The nucleating, growing and cracking of hydrogen blister have been investigated experimentally and theoretically. The results show that atomic hydrogen induces superabundant vacancies in metals. The superabundant vacancies and hydrogen aggregate into a hydrogen-vacancy cluster (microcavity). The hydrogen atoms in the microcavity become hydrogen molecules which can stabilize the cluster. And the hydrogen blister nucleates. With the entry of vacancies and hydrogen atoms, the blister nucleus grows and the pressure in the cavity increases. When the stress induced by hydrogen pressure on the blister is up to the cohesive strength, cracks will initiate from the wall of the blister.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Yen S K, Huang I B. Critical hydrogen concentration for hydrogen-induced blistering on AISI 430 stainless steel. Mater Chem Phys, 2003, 80: 662–666

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Tetelman A S, Robertson W D. Direct observation and analysis of crack propagation in iron-3% silicon single crystals. Acta Metall, 1963, 11: 415–425

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Ren X C, Shan G B, Chu W Y, et al. Initiating, growing and cracking of hydrogen blisters. Chin Sci Bull, 2005, 50: 1689–1692

    Google Scholar 

  4. Krom A H M, Bakker A, Koers R W. Modelling hydrogen-induced cracking in steel using a coupled diffusion stress finite element analysis. Int J Pres Pip, 1997, 72: 139–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Garofalo F, Chou Y T, Ambegaokar V. Effect of hydrogen on stability of micro cracks in iron and steel. Acta Metall, 1960, 8: 504–512

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Iino M. The extension of hydrogen blister-crack array in linepipe steels. Metall Trans A, 1978, 9A: 1581–1590

    Google Scholar 

  7. Yoshida S, Kiritani M, Shimomura Y. Lattice Defects in Quenching Metals (ed. by Cottrell R M J), New York: Academic Press, 1965. 713–750

    Google Scholar 

  8. Zhou Q J, He J Y, Sun D B, et al. Deformation and fracture of nickel phosphorus coatings. Scripta Mater, 2006, 54: 603–608

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Rooke D P, Cartwright D J. Compendium of Stress Intensity Factors. London: Her Majesty’s Stationary Office, 1976. 174

    Google Scholar 

  10. Fukai Y, Okuma N. Evidence of copious vacancy formation in Ni and Pd under a high hydrogen pressure. Jap J Appl Phys, Part 2 (Letters), 1993, 32: L1256–1259

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Fukai Y, Okuma N. Formation of superabundant vacancies in Pd hydride under high hydrogen pressures. Phys Rev Lett, 1994, 73: 1640–1643

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Fukai Y, Kurokawa Y, Hiraoka H. Superabundant vacancy formation and its consequences in metal-hydrogen alloys. J Jpn Inst Met, 1997, 61: 663–670

    Google Scholar 

  13. Iida T, Yamazaki Y, Kobayashi T, et al. Enhanced diffusion of Nb in Nb-H alloy by hydrogen-induced vacancies. Acta Mater, 2005, 53: 3083–3089

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Yamazaki Y, Iijima Y, Okada M. Enhanced diffusion of Au in γ-Fe by vacancies induced under elevated hydrogen pressure. Acta Mater, 2004, 52: 1247–1254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Gavriljuk, V. G, Bugaev, V. N., Petrov, Y. N. et al, Hydrogen-induced equilibrium vacancies in FCC iron-base alloy, Scripta Mater., 1995, 34: 903–907

    Google Scholar 

  16. McLellan R B, Xu Z R. Hydrogen-induced vacancies in the iron lattice. Scripta Mater, 1997, 36: 1201–1205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Maroevic P, McLellan R B. Equlibrium vacancy concentration in Pd-H solid solutions. Acta Mater, 1998, 46: 5593–5597

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Feng D. Metallic Physics, Volume I (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press, 2000. 211–225

    Google Scholar 

  19. Zhang C H, Chen Q K, Wang Y S, et al. Thermal stability of small He-vacancy clusters in 316L stainless steel irradiated with 2.5 MeV He+ ions at 550°C. Nucl Instr Meth in Phys Res B, 1998, 135: 256–259

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Morishita K, Sugano R, Wirth B D. MD and KMC modeling of the growth and shrinkage mechanism of helium-vacancy clusters in Fe. J Nucl Mater, 2003, 323: 243–250

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Daw M S, Baskes M I. Embedded-atom method: Derivation and application to impurities, surfaces, and other defects in metals. Phys Rev B, 1984, 29: 6443–6453

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Physics, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China

    Ren XueChong, Zhou QingJun, Chu WuYang, Li JinXu, Su YanJing & Qiao LiJie

Authors
  1. Ren XueChong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zhou QingJun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Chu WuYang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Li JinXu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Su YanJing
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Qiao LiJie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ren XueChong.

Additional information

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 50471096)

About this article

Cite this article

Ren, X., Zhou, Q., Chu, W. et al. The mechanism of nucleation of hydrogen blister in metals. Chin. Sci. Bull. 52, 2000–2005 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-007-0269-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-007-0269-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation