Abstract

CANDIA, Graciela L; BRANDALEZE, Elena  and  MANSILLA, Graciela A. Study of the hydrogen effect on microhardness of steels. Rev. cienc. tecnol. [online]. 2013, n.19, pp.64-68. ISSN 1851-7587.

Hydrogen impairs the mechanical properties of many metals and alloys, reducing ductility and causing premature failure. This is a significant problem at industrial level, because the influence of hydrogen occurs throughout the chain of manufacture, storage and service. Possible sources of income are: during melting of the metal, chemical cleaning (removal of surface oxides by chemical or electrochemical reaction), in the electrolysis process during the electro deposition, through electrodes and / or wet fluxes used in welding and since then, through the water vapour atmosphere. To achieve severe situations of hydrogen entry in steel, load tests were performed considering different electrolytic conditions: charge time, current density and use of poisons. In this case, the poison employed is a compound of arsenic, which acts as promoter, inhibiting the hydrogen recombination reaction of the atomic bonds and weakening the metal. Subsequently microhardness measurements were performed. As a result, it can be concluded that hydrogen, electrolytically charged, produced microhardness increase both in a high strength steel or in a 316L stainless steel. In these cases, the current density and load times, along with the oxide layer formed on the samples proved to be very significat variables.

Keywords : Microhardness; Steels; Cathodic poisons.

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