Quenched and tempered (Q&T) medium-C steels with various V and Mo additions were studied to understand the relationship between alloy carbide precipitation and hydrogen absorption and trapping behaviours. Heat treatments were selected in the temperature range favourable for V carbide formation, 500-600 °C, leading to higher hardness compared to similar V- and Mo-free alloys due to precipitation hardening. Heat-treated coupons were electrochemically charged to introduce hydrogen, and the bulk hydrogen concentration was measured using melt extraction analysis. Hardness and dislocation density were measured for each tempered condition to relate these properties to the hydrogen absorption and trapping behaviours of each material. Results indicate that dislocation density as well as V and Mo carbide precipitation increase the extent of hydrogen absorbed during charging and the amount of hydrogen remaining trapped after holding at ambient temperature for up to 168 h (1 week).

Hydrogen embrittlement (HE) susceptibility was investigated for Alloy 718 and Alloy 945X specimens heat treated to a set of conditions within the specifications of API Standard 6ACRA. Heat treatments were selected to simulate the potential variation in thermal history in thick sections of bar or forged products and produce various amounts of discontinuous grain boundary δ phase in Alloy 718 and M 23 C 6 carbides in Alloy 945X, while maintaining a constant hardness in the range of 35-45 HRC for Alloy 718 and 34-42 HRC for Alloy 945X. Time-temperature-transformation (TTT) diagrams and experimentation were used to select a set of heat treatments containing no δ phase, a small quantity of δ, and a larger quantity of δ in Alloy 718. The presence of δ phase has not been verified for the moderate condition. A similar approach was taken regarding M 23 C 6 carbides in Alloy 945X. Incremental step loading (ISL) tests were conducted under in-situ cathodic charging on circular notch tensile (CNT) specimens in a 0.5 M H2SO4 solution. During the test, the direct current potential drop (DCPD) was measured across the notch to determine the stress intensity associated with unstable crack growth. Results indicate that even very small quantities of δ phase in Alloy 718 are detrimental to HE resistance. Both Alloy 718 and Alloy 945X show decreases in HE resistance with aging, with a greater degradation in Alloy 718.