Hydrogen embrittlement of austenitic stainless steels revealed by deformation microstructures and strain-induced creation of vacancies

Hydrogen embrittlement of austenitic stainless steels has been examined with respect to deformation microstructures and lattice defects created during plastic deformation. Two types of austenitic stainless steels, SUS 304 and SUS 316L, uniformly hydrogen-precharged to 30 mass ppm in a high-pressure hydrogen environment, are subjected to tensile straining at room temperature. A substantial reduction of tensile ductility appears in...