Hydrogen embrittlement to be suppressed before HS steel use in hydrogen-powered vehicles: Study

New Delhi, Mar 29 (PTI) Hydrogen embrittlement could put the brakes on the safe use of high-strength (HS) steel in hydrogen-powered vehicles, according to a new study.

Upon exposing HS steel to rainwater (H2O) or hydrogen, the diffusion of hydrogen atoms into into its lattice structure creates intergranular (IG) fractures and progressively weakens it, making it more prone to mechanical failure.

A research team at Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan made studying these fractures in isolation possible, initially difficult because other types of fracture tend to occur alongside of it. They describe their findings in the journal Scripta Materialia.