The role of delta ferrite in hydrogen embrittlement fracture of 17-4 PH stainless steel.

The role of δ-Fe in hydrogen embrittlement (HE) of 17-4 PH steel is studied in this work. Scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy result indicates that δ-Fe is a hydrogen trapping site. Accordingly, δ-Fe can reduce the hydrogen concentration of surrounding martensite and prior austenite grain boundaries (PAGBs) and imped the brittle fracture along lath boundaries and PAGBs, which can be beneficial to the HE resistance improvement. However, a cleavage fracture of δ-Fe can occur under the synergetic action of hydrogen-enhanced localized plasticity (HELP) and hydrogen enhancement of the strain-induced generation of vacancies (HESIV). These findings indicate a new path to improving HE resistance of high strength martensitic steels. • SKPFM result shows that hydrogen tends to segregate in delta ferrite. • Delta ferrite acting as a hydrogen trapping site decreases the tendency of brittle fracture. • Hydrogen segregation in delta ferrite leads to a strain localization and a subsequent transgranular cleavage fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]