Preventing hydrogen embrittlement

Given the diversity of hydrogen embrittlement phenomena, there is no single answer to the problem, but rather several types, depending not only on the particular problem posed, but also on technical and economic parameters. Hydrogen embrittlement requires the coexistence of 3 factors:

• hydrogen activity (internal or external);

• a sensitive structure;

• the presence of constraints.

Depending on the importance of one or other of these parameters, we can be more or less tolerant of the others. Thus, in the presence of high hydrogen activity, hydrogen embrittlement may occur at low stress levels, or in structures that are a priori not very sensitive. Conversely, in the presence of low hydrogen activity, only the most sensitive structures may become...