Quantitative analysis for hydrogen embrittlement type stress corrosion cracking of high strength steels.

Electrochemical study is necessary to know the hydrogen distribution near a crack tip in hydrogen embrittlement type stress corrosion cracking (HESCC). In this study, hydrogen absorption at a slit tip in high tensile strength steels was analized by an electric field equation and the hydrogen distribution was computed by the two dimensional finite differential method based on this boundary condition.As the result, the criterion for HESCC initiation was found to be described by the hydrogen activity and hydrostatic stress parameter. It was made clear that HESCC initiation was able to be predicted by using the criterion.