Hydrogen embrittlement of super duplex stainless steel – Towards understanding the effects of microstructure and strain

The effects of austenite spacing, hydrogen charging, and applied tensile strain on the local Volta potential evolution and micro-deformation behaviour of grade 2507 (UNS S32750) super duplex stainless steel were studied. A novel in-situ methodological approach using Digital Image Correlation (DIC) and Scanning Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (SKPFM) was employed. The microstructure with small austenite spacing showed load partitioning of tensile micro-strains to the austenite during elastic loading, with the ferrite then taking up most tensile strain at large plastic deformation. The opposite trend was seen when the microstructure was pre-charged with hydrogen, with more intense strain localisation formed due to local hydrogen hardening. The hydrogen-charged microstructure with large austenite spacing showed a contrasting micro-mechanical response, resulting in heterogeneous strain localisation with high strain intensities in both phases in the elastic regime. The austenite was hydrogen-hardened, whereas the ferrite became more strain-hardened. SKPFM measured Volta potentials revealed the development of local cathodic sites in the ferrite associated with hydrogen damage (blister), with anodic sites related to trapped hydrogen and/or micro voids in the microstructure with small austenite spacing. Discrete cathodic sites with large Volta potential variations across the ferrite were seen in the coarse-grained microstructure, indicating enhanced susceptibility to micro-galvanic activity. Microstructures with large austenite spacing were more susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement, related to the development of tensile strains in the ferrite.