Effect of trapping and temperature on the hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility of alloy 718

Ni-based alloy 718 is widely used to manufacture structural components in the aeronautic and nuclear industries. Numerous studies have shown that alloy 718 may be sensitive to hydrogen embrittlement. In the present study, the susceptibilities of three distinct metallurgical states of alloy 718 to hydrogen embrittlement were investigated to identify both the effect of hydrogen trapping on hydrogen embrittlement and the role of temperature in the hydrogen-trapping mechanism. Cathodic charging in a molten salt bath was used to saturate the different hydrogen traps of each metallurgical state. Tensile tests at different temperatures and different strain rates were carried out to study the effect of hydrogen on mechanical properties and failure modes, in combination with hydrogen content measurements. The results demonstrated that Ni-based superalloy 718 was strongly susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement between 25 °C and 300 °C, and highlighted the dominant roles played by the hydrogen solubility and the hydrogen trapping on mechanical behavior and fracture modes.