Damage due to hydrogen embrittlement and stress corrosion cracking

Damage of metals due to the influence of hydrogen and to stress corrosion cracking is quite frequent and leads to dangerous failures as well as to loss of property and large compensational payments by insurance companies. One reason for this, is that some designers and engineers seem to lack sufficient knowledge of the basic mechanisms of these phenomena and accordingly often have only vague ideas how to prevent such failure causes. Although the basic concepts can be found in a number of good text books it seems worthwile to recall them in a short comprehensive paper.