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Precipitation strengthened austenitic stainless steels are widely used in hydrogen related applications. However, their applications may face hydrogen damage resulting in hydrogen-induced delayed failure. Results show that the weld is more sensitive to fracture and hydrogen-induced failure than the matrix. High density curved dislocations, abundant of large size precipitates and considerable γ′ precipitates coarsening are found in the weld. Large size precipitates are found to be major hydrogen traps and preferential microcrack nucleation sites. The γ′ precipitates coarsening make the weld more ductile than the matrix. With the decrease of the applied stress, hydrogen-induced cracking mechanism in the weld changes from brittle transgranular fracture to brittle intergranular fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The safety of precipitation strengthened austenitic stainless steels used for hydrogen storage tanks is of great interest. However, their application may face hydrogen damage resulting in hydrogen-induced delayed failure. Results show that over-loading and hydrogen-induced failure always occur at the weld part of the alloy. Hydrogen damage such as microcracks could be observed on the surface of the matrix and the weld during charging even without any applied stress. Hydrogen-induced failure occurred during charging under constant load and the normalized threshold stress decreased exponentially with increasing defined time t c . It is shown that the threshold stress with no hydrogen-induced failure occurring for expected service life, i.e. forty years, was 713 MPa. Therefore under the service stress, which is less than the threshold stress, 713 MPa, the safety factor of the hydrogen storage tank for hydrogen-induced fracture is great enough to indicate the tank to last for the entire designed service time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]