How to prevent hydrogen embrittlement?
New video explains strategies to counteract crack propagation in aluminum
Light, strong and abundant, aluminum and its alloys are widely used in construction , consumer electronics, and for vehicles including cars, ships, and aerospace. In this video, Huan Zhao explores a phenomenon which results in the weakening of these materials, namely hydrogen embrittlement. Employing cryogenic-transfer atom probe tomography, Zhao is able to provide a three dimensional analysis of how hydrogen is located within the aluminum alloys’ microstructure. Identifying grain boundaries as a key site for hydrogenembrittlement, the research highlights possible strategies to both better understand and counteract material’s failure.
Related publication:
Huan Zhao, Poulami Chakraborty, Dirk Ponge, Tilmann Hickel, Binhan Sun, Chun-Hung Wu, Baptiste Gault, and Dierk Raabe, "Hydrogen trapping and embrittlement in high-strength Al-alloys," Nature 602, 437-441 (2022).
