镀锌螺钉断裂分析

一批M6mm内六角镀锌螺钉在安装后运行基本正常,但经一段时间试车后头部发生断裂。通过化学成分分析、硬度测试、宏观和微观检验对断裂原因进行了分析。结果表明:螺钉断裂为氢脆引起的延迟断裂;主要原因是烘箱中的一条电阻丝断裂,使烘箱内温度不均匀,导致电镀过程中渗入的氢未彻底去除;次要原因是螺钉硬度偏高,增大了氢脆敏感性,最终导致了螺钉的断裂。     

SWRCH22A钢自攻螺钉断裂原因分析

SWRCH22A钢自攻螺钉在装配一天后发生断裂,通过宏观检验、化学成分分析、金相检验、断口分析及氢含量测试等方法,对其断裂原因进行了分析。结果表明:螺钉的断裂性质为氢致延迟脆性断裂;螺钉经过热处理后的显微组织为回火马氏体和少量残余奥氏体,而马氏体为氢脆敏感组织,且螺钉经过电镀处理,使得其内部氢的质量分数高达0.000 49%,最终导致螺钉于应于集中的螺纹起始位置根部发生氢致延迟脆性断裂。     

紧固螺钉断裂失效分析

采用宏观分析、金相检验以及断口分析等方法对用于微波炉高压零件的紧固螺钉断裂原因进行了分析。结果表明:螺钉渗碳时心部碳含量增加,淬火、回火后得到回火低碳马氏体组织,使心部硬度偏高,脆性增大;加之螺钉表面除氢效果不好,从而导致部分螺钉在服役过程中的应力作用下发生氢脆延滞断裂。     

10.9级高强度螺钉断裂分析

某单位生产的汽车门窗用10.9级20钢高强度螺钉在服役约一个月后相继出现多个断裂现象。利用光学显微镜、扫描电子显微镜、直读光谱仪、能谱分析仪和显微硬度计等对螺钉的断裂原因进行了分析。结果表明:该螺钉断裂的主要原因是其在使用之前就存在微裂纹,造成应力集中,在静载荷拉应力的作用下,材料中的氢原子向裂纹尖端移动、富集,使局部氢浓度较高,导致螺钉发生了氢致延迟脆性断裂;另螺钉表面硬度过高也增加了其对氢脆断裂的敏感性。     

十字槽沉头螺钉断裂失效分析

材料为ML30CrMnSiA钢的十字槽沉头螺钉在初次装配过程中发生批量断裂失效,通过宏观观察、化学成分分析、力学性能试验、金相分析、断口扫描电镜及能谱分析、氢含量测定等方法对螺钉断裂原因进行了分析。结果表明:螺钉头部的十字槽底部在冷镦或热处理过程中产生微裂纹,在酸洗、镀镉等工序中,氢沿微裂纹渗入基体,加之螺钉强度偏高,超过设计要求,从而导致螺钉发生氢脆开裂并扩展,实际承载面积降低,最终在装配应力作用下发生断裂失效。     

两种零件不同条件下氢脆断裂分析

对两种零件不同条件下氢脆断裂的宏、微观形貌特征进行了观察与分析,并对断裂构件的氢含量进行了分析测试.结果表明,钢制构件中氢含量超过一定值后均可发生氢脆断裂.构件是否发生氢脆断裂以及氢脆断裂的宏、微观形貌特征与构件中的氢含量、材料强度、所受应力状态等有关.     

1018钢螺钉断裂失效分析

采用直读光谱仪、显微维氏硬度计、光学显微镜和扫描电镜等仪器设备分别对1018钢渗碳处理的M3×6十字头自攻螺钉的化学成分、硬度、显微组织和断口形貌进行了分析,查明了螺钉断裂原因。结果表明:螺钉断裂属典型的脆性断裂,与其渗碳层深度超标,心部硬度又接近标准范围上限有关;螺钉断口还具有一定的氢脆断裂特征,是由于高的硬度和超标的渗碳层深度增加了螺钉的氢脆敏感性。最后根据螺钉断裂原因提出了改进措施。     

汽车零部件氢致断裂的分析及预防

对氢脆的机理、氢脆的断口形貌、氢脆的表观形式、影响氢脆的因素、氢脆的预防以及氢脆的检查分别进行了介绍,并通过对汽车生产中典型氢致断裂案例的分析和研究,对氢脆断口形貌提出了判定依据:脆性断口、沿晶断裂、显微气孔、二次裂纹、发线花纹。并依据氢脆发生的机理和主要影响因素,强调对于高强度零件及时有效地进行去氢处理的重要性。     

减震器托架断裂失效分析

目的解决减震器托架断裂失效的问题。方法通过化学成分分析、力学性能分析、断口扫描分析、金相组织分析、氢含量测试等手段,确定了减震器托架断裂性质及原因。结果减震器托架发生氢脆断裂。结论由于酸洗过程中材料渗入过量氢,导致氢脆并发生断裂。为防止类似的失效事故再次发生,提供了一些指导性建议。     

镀锌螺栓的断裂分析

镀锌螺栓在组装后放置1～2d于根部或头部发生大量断裂,采用化学成分分析、金相检验、硬度检测及断口分析等方法对螺栓的断裂性质及断裂原因进行了分析。结果表明：螺栓断裂为典型的氢脆断裂;主要原因是螺栓在后期酸洗和电镀过程中除氢不彻底,吸入了大量的氢;次要原因是热处理工艺控制不当,使螺栓心度硬度偏高,增加了其对氢脆的敏感性;两者共同作用最终导致螺栓发生氢脆断裂。     

普通碳素钢渗氮后的氢脆敏感性

为了研究渗氮处理对钢的氢脆敏感性的影响,对气体渗氮处理的普通碳素钢进行了拉伸试验,对其断口进行了扫描电镜观察和显微组织分析。结果表明:渗氮层发生了氢脆延迟断裂,未渗氮部位发生了韧性断裂;渗氮处理增加了钢的氢脆敏感性。     

Effects of alloy 718 microstructure on hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility for oil and gas environments

The effects of alloy 718 microstructure on hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility and tensile fracture mode were assessed through slow strain rate tensile testing and fracture surface analysis. Alloy 718 was annealed and aged to produce microstructures with variations in grain size and amount of grain boundary precipitates. Furthermore, the different ageing conditions likely resulted in differences in volume fractions and sizes of γ′ and γ′′ precipitates. The extent of grain boundary precipitation had the strongest effect on hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility, while grain size did not have any significant effect. Hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility was also correlated with differences in strength level, which was primarily controlled by the γ′ and γ′′ precipitate populations.     

Hydrogen Embrittlement Failure of a Galvanized Washer

A galvanized washer used for a locomotive impeller broke into three pieces after an accumulative service of 4–5 h. The washer is fabricated from 42CrMo steel and the fracture surfaces reveal intergranular fracture morphology with microvoid coalescence observed on the facets. Microstructure observation indicates the presence of a severely banded microstructure mainly consisting of untempered martensite and bainite. The average hardness of the failed washer is HRC 59.1. The hardness value is much higher than specified (HBW 260-300) and is in the range of hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility. The significant number of elongated MnS inclusions acting as traps of hydrogen are present in the martensite regions. The delayed fracture associated with the predominance of intergranular fracture micromechanism and the high hardness level and the presence of microstructure susceptible for the hydrogen embrittlement strongly suggest the hydrogen embrittlement being the mostly possible failure mechanism. The likely sources for hydrogen entrapment are the electro-galvanizing process and acid-pickling before galvanizing. The hydrogen was retained in the washer due to absence of baking treatment to remove it or insufficient baking. The incorrect heat treatment process before galvanizing resulting in the high hardness level of the washer is mainly responsible for the occurrence of hydrogen embrittlement on the washer.     

Hydrogen and temper embrittlement interactions in fatigue of 2·25Cr–1Mo steel

Abstract

The influence of strength, precipitate microstructure, temper embrittlement, and environment on fatigue crack growth in 2·25Cr–1 Mo steel has been investigated. Particular attention was paid to the interaction between hydrogen embrittlement and temper embrittlement in fatigue. A range of tempered and aged conditions was examined in air, vacuum, and gaseous hydrogen environments at growth rates between 10^?10 and 10^?5 m/cycle. In this paper, discussion focuses on effects observed in hydrogen. Gaseous hydrogen was found to encourage crack growth by promoting intergranular fracture, which peaked at intermediate growth rates, and by reducing the general plasticity associated with transgranular fracture at high growth rates. Mechanisms underlying these effects, which involve stress-driven hydrogen segregation and the facilitation of crack-tip dislocation emission, are considered in detail. Reversible temper embrittlement encouraged crack growth at near-threshold and intermediate rates in hydrogen by increasing susceptibility to intergranular fracture. The magnitude of this effect was directly related to the degree of intergranular phosphorus enrichment, thus clearly demonstrating synergy between hydrogen embrittlement and temper embrittlement in fatigue. In contrast, one-step temper embrittlement encouraged transgranular crack growth in hydrogen only at high growth rates. This is considered to result from a concentration of slip on glide planes intersecting the crack tip under the combined influences of hydrogen and an increasingly dense precipitate microstructure.

MST/583     

Hydrogen and temper embrittlement in 9Cr–1Mo steel

Abstract

The synergism between hydrogen embrittlement and temper embrittlement has been investigated in a 9Cr–1Mo martensitic steel. Measurements of tensile ductility were used to monitor the development of embrittlement with increasing hydrogen content in material as tempered and aged for up to 5000 h at 500 or 550°C. A detailed examination was made of associated changes in fracture mechanism, precipitate microstructure, and interfacial and precipitate chemistry. A strong interaction between hydrogen and temper embrittlement was observed. Both types of embrittlement in isolation reduced tensile ductility by promoting a ductile interlath fracture mechanism: ‘chisel fracture’. Hydrogen and temper embrittlement acted synergistically to reduce ductility further by the promotion of brittle intergranular fracture and transgranular cleavage. The dominant factor controlling the interaction was the precipitation of a brittle intermetallic Laves phase containing phosphorus in solution. Phosphorus segregated to interfaces was considered to make an important, but secondary, contribution to the embrittlement observed.

MST/791     

The hydrogen embrittlement of metals

This paper represents a comprehensive survey of the literature with regard to the subject of hydrogen embrittlement in metals. There is a review of the current knowledge of hydrogen-metal relationships in which it is shown that the behaviour of any element, with respect to hydrogen, depends upon its position in the periodic table. The current theories of the nature of brittle fracture, and of the ductile-to-brittle transition in metals are then reviewed in terms of the origin and propagation of brittle fractures on the application of an external stress.

These reviews are then followed by a detailed critical analysis of the characteristics and mechanisms of hydrogen embrittlement in the body-centered-cubic metals (including steel), titanium and its alloys, alphazirconium and alpha-uranium. In each case these effects are discussed in terms of the present knowledge of the appropriate metal-hydrogen system and the theory of brittle fracture in metals. The conclusions from each of these individual reviews are then combined in the proposal of a general theory of the hydrogen embrittlement of metals which not only incorporates the essential features of each case of hydrogen embrittlement, but also suggests an explanation for the absence of similar effects in other metals.     

Hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility of microstructures formed in multipass weld metal for HT780 class steel

The effect of reheating by following passes on the hydrogen embrittlement of MAG weld metal for HT780 class steels has been investigated by using specimens subjected to simulated thermal cycles. The hydrogen-charged specimens exhibited transgranular quasi-cleavage fracture and intergranular fracture along prior austenite grain boundaries on slow strain rate tensile (SSRT) tests, depending on the reheated temperature and charged hydrogen content. The reduction in elongation of hydrogen-charged specimens became more significant when intergranular fracture occurred. When specimens in as-welded state and precedently reheated at coarse grained HAZ temperature of 1,623 K were reheated at a tempering temperature of 873 K, significant amount of intergranular fracture occurred at charged hydrogen contents above 3 ppm in spite of the decrease in hardness. The specimen reheated at 1,173 K showed no intergranular fracture even after receiving the reheating at 873 K at a hydrogen content of 6 ppm, suggesting the strong influence of the prior austenite grain size on the hydrogen-induced intergranular embrittlement. The measurement of hydrogen content desorbed from the hydrogen-charged specimen at room temperature suggested that the intergranular fracture caused by the reheating at 873 K was associated with an increase in susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement of the prior austenite grain boundary itself rather than a decrease in the amounts of trapping sites such as dislocation and retained austenite.     

Failures of engineering components due to environmentally assisted cracking

Examples of failures of engineering components by stress-corrosion cracking, corrosion-fatigue, hydrogen embrittlement, liquid-metal embrittlement, and solid-metal embrittlement are described. Causes of failure include inappropriate materials selection or heat treatment, poor design, and high residual stresses. The examples illustrate how fractographic characteristics, analysis of films and deposits on fracture surfaces, and other factors help in diagnosing the modes and causes of failures, thereby enabling the appropriate remedial measures to be taken.