Hydrogen Embrittlement in Steels and Alloys for Energy Infrastructure
This community investigates how hydrogen atoms diffuse into metallic structures, causing cracking and failure, to ensure the safety of pipelines, storage tanks, and high-strength alloys used in hydrogen energy systems.
The work focuses on the mechanisms of hydrogen diffusion, trapping, and permeation within steel microstructures, particularly austenitic, duplex, and high-strength pipeline steels. Researchers examine how grain boundaries, precipitates, and dislocations influence embrittlement susceptibility under stress, corrosion, and fatigue conditions. Key applications include assessing material compatibility for natural gas pipelines blended with hydrogen, developing barrier coatings and surface modifications to prevent hydrogen ingress, and engineering alloys with enhanced resistance to hydrogen-induced cracking. The research also explores the trade-offs between tensile strength and embrittlement resistance in critical infrastructure components.
The largest share of the community's output is found in hydrogen research, accounting for 1.6% of all tracked hydrogen studies, and 9,657 papers here. Iron research contributes 0.4% of its total output, with 1,489 papers, while nickel research accounts for 0.6% of its total output, with 1,169 papers.
The community comprises 13,744 papers, with the most frequent publication venues being the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Corrosion Science, and Corrosion. Recent work continues to focus on hydrogen barrier coatings, machine learning models for grain boundary interactions, and the specific behavior of pipeline steels and stainless alloys under cryogenic and high-pressure conditions.