Hydrogen Concentration Distribution in 2.25Cr-1Mo-0.25V Steel under the Electrochemical Hydrogen Charging and Its Influence on the Mechanical Properties

The deterioration of the mechanical properties of metal induced by hydrogen absorption threatens the safety of the equipment serviced in hydrogen environments. In this study, the hydrogen concentration distribution in 2.25Cr-1Mo-0.25V steel after hydrogen charging was analyzed following the hydrogen permeation and diffusion model. The diffusible hydrogen content in the 1-mm-thick specimen and its influence on the mechanical properties of the material were investigated by glycerol gas collecting test, static hydrogen charging tensile test, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) test, and microhardness test. The results indicate that the content of diffusible hydrogen tends to be the saturation state when the hydrogen charging time reaches 48 h. The simulation results suggest that the hydrogen concentration distribution can be effectively simulated by ABAQUS and the method can be used to analyze the hydrogen concentration in the material with complex structures or containing multiple microstructures. The influence of hydrogen on the mechanical properties is that the elongation of this material is reduced and the diffusible hydrogen will cause a decrease in the fracture toughness of the material, and thus hydrogen embrittlement (HE) will occur. Moreover, the Young’s modulus E and microhardness are increased due to hydrogen absorption, and the variation value is related to the hydrogen concentration introduced into the specimen.