Analyses of hydrogen distribution around fatigue crack on type 304 stainless steel using secondary ion mass spectrometry

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) analyses were carried out on type 304 austenitic stainless steel. On annealed specimen exposed to hydrogen (10 MPa, 358  K), Element Depth Profiles SIMS mode was able to describe quantitatively the hydrogen profile content computed by the Fick’s law. Based on SIMS analyses on the wake of a fatigue crack (propagation in hydrogen gas at 0.6 MPa and RT), it was possible to compute an apparent diffusivity and solubility in the crack tip region. The apparent solubility and diffusivity in the deformed regions were two times and five orders of magnitude higher than the ones on annealed material, respectively. High hydrogen content was found around the crack tip, where the plastic deformation was well developed (pronounced slip activity). The high apparent diffusivity is presumed to result from enhanced hydrogen transport induced by cyclic plastic activity at the crack tip.

► SIMS analyses where performed on fatigue cracks' wakes obtained in hydrogen gas environment. ► Effective diffusivity in the crack tip regions is four order of magnitude above the accepted one in austenite. ► Results provide evidences of high hydrogen transport by cyclic plastic deformation in the crack tip region.