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Hydrogen trapping and embrittlement in high-strength Al alloys

Author

Listed:
  • Huan Zhao

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung)

  • Poulami Chakraborty

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung)

  • Dirk Ponge

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung)

  • Tilmann Hickel

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung
    BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing)

  • Binhan Sun

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung
    East China University of Science and Technology)

  • Chun-Hung Wu

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung)

  • Baptiste Gault

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung
    Imperial College London)

  • Dierk Raabe

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung)

Abstract

Ever more stringent regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from transportation motivate efforts to revisit materials used for vehicles1. High-strength aluminium alloys often used in aircrafts could help reduce the weight of automobiles, but are susceptible to environmental degradation2,3. Hydrogen ‘embrittlement’ is often indicated as the main culprit4; however, the exact mechanisms underpinning failure are not precisely known: atomic-scale analysis of H inside an alloy remains a challenge, and this prevents deploying alloy design strategies to enhance the durability of the materials. Here we performed near-atomic-scale analysis of H trapped in second-phase particles and at grain boundaries in a high-strength 7xxx Al alloy. We used these observations to guide atomistic ab initio calculations, which show that the co-segregation of alloying elements and H favours grain boundary decohesion, and the strong partitioning of H into the second-phase particles removes solute H from the matrix, hence preventing H embrittlement. Our insights further advance the mechanistic understanding of H-assisted embrittlement in Al alloys, emphasizing the role of H traps in minimizing cracking and guiding new alloy design.

Suggested Citation

  • Huan Zhao & Poulami Chakraborty & Dirk Ponge & Tilmann Hickel & Binhan Sun & Chun-Hung Wu & Baptiste Gault & Dierk Raabe, 2022. "Hydrogen trapping and embrittlement in high-strength Al alloys," Nature, Nature, vol. 602(7897), pages 437-441, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:602:y:2022:i:7897:d:10.1038_s41586-021-04343-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04343-z
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Zhenyang Li & Shiyuan Liu & Yanhui Pu & Gang Huang & Yingbo Yuan & Ruiqi Zhu & Xufeng Li & Chunyan Chen & Gao Deng & Haihan Zou & Peng Yi & Ming Fang & Xin Sun & Junzhe He & He Cai & Jiaxiang Shang & , 2023. "Single-crystal ZrCo nanoparticle for advanced hydrogen and H-isotope storage," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Chengyi Yu & Kun Lin & Qinghua Zhang & Huihui Zhu & Ke An & Yan Chen & Dunji Yu & Tianyi Li & Xiaoqian Fu & Qian Yu & Li You & Xiaojun Kuang & Yili Cao & Qiang Li & Jinxia Deng & Xianran Xing, 2024. "An isotropic zero thermal expansion alloy with super-high toughness," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    3. Pang-Yu Liu & Boning Zhang & Ranming Niu & Shao-Lun Lu & Chao Huang & Maoqiu Wang & Fuyang Tian & Yong Mao & Tong Li & Patrick A. Burr & Hongzhou Lu & Aimin Guo & Hung-Wei Yen & Julie M. Cairney & Hao, 2024. "Engineering metal-carbide hydrogen traps in steels," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Cheng, Guang & Wang, Xiaoli & Chen, Kaiyuan & Zhang, Yang & Venkatesh, T.A. & Wang, Xiaolin & Li, Zunzhao & Yang, Jing, 2023. "Probing the effects of hydrogen on the materials used for large-scale transport of hydrogen through multi-scale simulations," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    5. Huan Zhao & Yue Yin & Yuxiang Wu & Siyuan Zhang & Andrea M. Mingers & Dirk Ponge & Baptiste Gault & Michael Rohwerder & Dierk Raabe, 2024. "How solute atoms control aqueous corrosion of Al-alloys," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    6. Martí López Freixes & Xuyang Zhou & Huan Zhao & Hélène Godin & Lionel Peguet & Timothy Warner & Baptiste Gault, 2022. "Revisiting stress-corrosion cracking and hydrogen embrittlement in 7xxx-Al alloys at the near-atomic-scale," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.

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