2012 Volume 52 Issue 2 Pages 168-173
Conformity between macro-mechanics and microscopic functions of hydrogen in failure is reviewed in reference to some models of hydrogen embrittlement (HE), focusing on the role of plasticity. Plastic strain localization, a characteristic feature of HE, is consistent with the hydrogen-enhanced creation of vacancies during plastic deformation. Constitutive relations that take into account the presence of voids describe well the ductile fracture process in HE. The effect of hydrogen on increasing the density of strain-induced vacancies likely promotes plastic instability and decreases ductile crack growth resistance, thus leading to enhanced shear localization and a premature failure.
