Article ID: ISIJINT-2021-140
Accurate knowledge of the influence of hydrogen on the behavior of vacancies and vacancy clusters is crucial for understanding the mechanism of hydrogen embrittlement of α-iron and its alloys. Using in-situ transmission electron microscopy, we examined the effects of hydrogen on the behavior of nanoscale cavities under heating, by comparison between the behaviors of cavities without hydrogen produced upon high-energy electron irradiation and those with hydrogen produced upon electro-deposition. It is revealed that hydrogen promotes the migration of cavities, in contrast to a traditional notion.