Hydrogen Embrittlement of Metals: Behaviors and Mechanisms (2nd Edition)

A Special Issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701) belonging to the section "Metal Failure Analysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2027 | Viewed by 961

Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
Interests: hydrogen embrittlement; hydrogen safety; material failure analysis; microstructure characterization; hydrogen transport; pressure vessel and piping; mechanical properties of metals
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
Interests: mechanism of hydrogen embrittlement; metal manufacturing; material processing; computational material science; microstructure characterization and modeling; weld metal
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogen is a clean alternative to traditional energy sources and a key feature of the energy transition strategies of many countries. However, the development and utilization of hydrogen energy comprise dynamic processes, including the preparation, storage, transportation, and safe application of hydrogen. A large number of metal materials are used in every segment of the hydrogen energy industry. Changes in failure behavior in metal materials in a hydrogen-containing environment are very important. Moreover, internal hydrogen is present in metal materials during casting and processing, which will have a key impact on the mechanical properties of these materials. Therefore, it is necessary to thoroughly research hydrogen behaviors and damage mechanisms in metal materials.

For this Special Issue, we welcome the submission of articles that focus on research into the behaviors and mechanisms of hydrogen embrittlement in metals. Potential subjects focused on in this Special Issue include hydrogen diffusion and permeation, hydrogen transport and storage, microstructure evolution in a hydrogen-containing environment, the mechanisms behind hydrogen-induced material failure, and hydrogen-embrittlement-resistant materials and technology.

Dr. Kai Xu
Prof. Dr. Guiying Qiao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • hydrogen embrittlement
  • hydrogen embrittlement resistance
  • material failure analysis
  • hydrogen diffusion and permeation
  • hydrogen transport
  • hydrogen storage
  • material processing
  • microstructure characterization

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

25 pages, 27496 KB  
Article
Development of a Gaseous Hydrogen Permeation Method: Effects of Palladium-Coated Charging Surfaces and Partial Permeation Transients
by Matthew Scott, Rashiga Walallawita, Matthew C. Hinchliff and Dimitry Sediako
Metals 2026, 16(7), 820; https://doi.org/10.3390/met16070820 - 21 Jul 2026
Viewed by 515
Abstract
Hydrogen diffusion plays a central role in the susceptibility of steels to hydrogen embrittlement, yet reported diffusivity values often exhibit significant variability due to differences in experimental methodology. Gaseous hydrogen permeation experiments, while more representative of service conditions, are highly sensitive to surface [...] Read more.
Hydrogen diffusion plays a central role in the susceptibility of steels to hydrogen embrittlement, yet reported diffusivity values often exhibit significant variability due to differences in experimental methodology. Gaseous hydrogen permeation experiments, while more representative of service conditions, are highly sensitive to surface boundary conditions and trapping effects, which can bias the diffusivity obtained from analysis. In this work, a gaseous hydrogen permeation methodology was developed at the High-Performance Powertrain Materials Laboratory (HPPM) at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan. A dedicated gas management system (GMS) was implemented to enable controlled pressure step transients, allowing partial permeation transients to be collected under gaseous charging conditions. This approach was applied to commercially pure iron and API 5L X60 pipeline steel to evaluate diffusion and trapping behaviour across materials with differing microstructural complexity. The results demonstrate that diffusivity obtained from transients spanning the full charging–discharging range (0–2 MPa) reflects an effective parameter influenced by reversible hydrogen trapping, whereas transients measured over incremental pressure steps (1–2 MPa) provide a more consistent estimate of lattice-controlled diffusion. The application of palladium coatings to the charging surface was found to promote hydrogen entry, reducing surface impedance effects and further improving agreement with Fickian diffusion behaviour. Full article
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