Title: Fatigue and hydrogen embrittlement evaluation of AF1410 steel

Authors: Amilcar Quispitupa, O. Marcelo Suarez, Basir Shafiq, Samuel Charca, Oswald N.C. Uwakweh

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Nils Koppels Alle, Building 403, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark. ' Department of Engineering Science and Materials, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (UPRM), Stefani Building S-601, P.O. Box 9044, Mayaguez, PR 00681, USA. ' Department of Engineering Science and Materials, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (UPRM), Stefani Building S-601, P.O. Box 9044, Mayaguez, PR 00681, USA. ' Department of Civil Engineering and Surveying, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (UPRM), P.O. Box 9041, Mayaguez, PR 00681, USA. ' Department of Engineering Science and Materials, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (UPRM), Stefani Building S-601, P.O. Box 9044, Mayaguez, PR 00681, USA

Abstract: AF1410 steel subject to lateral one-sided electrolytic hydrogen-charging and tested under fatigue at a stress ratio of 0.4 and at 1 Hz loading frequency displayed up to four times higher crack growth rate than specimens evaluated without exposure to hydrogen. Additionally, the hydrogen-attacked side underwent a change in the fracture mode from ductile to brittle, which can be either of intergranular, transgranular or quasi-cleavage nature. Scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope studies as well as fracture surface analysis were conducted to correlate the fracture modes with the hydrogen embrittlement effects on the steel. Since hydrogen did not permeate the entire thickness of the specimens, the experiments provided a more realistic approach to the study of large aircraft components in marine service conditions.

Keywords: hydrogen embrittlement; fatigue; AF1410 steel; crack growth rate; ductile fracture; brittle fracture; fracture modes; aircraft components; marine service conditions.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMMP.2007.015315

International Journal of Microstructure and Materials Properties, 2007 Vol.2 No.3/4, pp.373 - 387

Published online: 07 Oct 2007 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article