Hydrogen embrittlement in bearing steels

Hydrogen embrittlement is, and has been for over a century, a prominent issue within many sectors of industry. Despite this, the mechanisms by which hydrogen embrittlement occur and the suitable means for its prevention are yet to be fully established. Hydrogen embrittlement is becoming an ever more pertinent issue. This has led to a considerable demand for novel hydrogen embrittlement-resistant alloys, notably within the bearings industry. This paper provides an overview of the literature surrounding hydrogen embrittlement in bearing steels, and the means by which manufacturers may optimise alloys and accompanying processes to prevent embrittlement. Notably, novel steels combining both high strength and hydrogen embrittlement resistance are reviewed with respect to their design, evaluation methods and required future work.This paper is part of a Themed Issue on Recent developments in bearing steels.