2001 Volume 42 Issue 10 Pages 2140-2143
Hydrogen absorbed from the test environment was detected experimentally from an Al–4.9%Zn–2.2%Mg–1.3%Cu alloy deformed in laboratory air, which is a direct evidence of hydrogen embrittlement. The alloy exhibited grain boundary embrittlement when deformed at a strain rate of 10−7 s−1 in laboratory air and hydrogen behavior was studied using deuterium as a tracer of hydrogen. The direct detection of hydrogen supports the idea that gradual propagation of intergranular crack at sufficiently low strain rate may enable continuous absorption and accumulation of hydrogen in the stress field near the crack tip and eventually embrittle the material.