Effect of hydrogen on plastic strain localization in single crystals of austenitic stainless steel

Tensile tests accompanied with on-line in situ field emission gun-scanning electron microscopy observations were performed to study hydrogen effects on plastic strain localization in the form of slip lines in single crystals of austenitic stainless steel. It was found that the slip lines on the hydrogen-charged specimens were markedly shorter and more grouped together than the straight slip lines on the hydrogen-free specimens. Hydrogen thermal desorption and positron annihilation spectroscopy were applied to study the combined effect of hydrogen and plastic deformation on excessive generation of vacancies.