Highly sensitive secondary ion mass spectrometric analysis of time variation of hydrogen spatial distribution in austenitic stainless steel at room temperature in vacuum

• Our original SIMS method has accurately revealed time variation of hydrogen in steel.
• Our method consists of methods for reduction and estimation for background hydrogen.
• Time variations of measured hydrogen intensities and calculated value are compared.

Hydrogen contained in austenitic stainless steel is classified as diffusible or nondiffusible. The hydrogen distribution in austenitic stainless steel changes with time owing to hydrogen diffusion at room temperature, and such changes in hydrogen distribution cause the mechanical properties of the steel to change as well. It is therefore important to analyze the time variation of the hydrogen distribution in austenitic stainless steel at room temperature to elucidate the effects of hydrogen on the steel's mechanical properties. In this study, we used secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), a highly sensitive detection method, to analyze the time variation of the distribution of hydrogen charged into 316L austenitic stainless steel. SIMS depth profiles of hydrogen that were acquired at the three measurement times were analyzed, and the results were compared among the measurement times. 1H− intensities and distribution of the intensities changed with time due to diffusion of hydrogen in the hydrogen-charged 316L steel sample at room temperature. Moreover, the time variation of the hydrogen concentration distribution of the hydrogen-charged 316L sample was calculated using a one-dimensional model based on Fick's second law. The time variations of the measured hydrogen intensities and of the calculated values are compared.