Efficient Testing Method for Hydrogen Embrittlement of Flat Material

Standard hydrogen embrittlement test methods typically take several hours or even days to complete. This results in a long test time. In addition, they must be carried out in situ, as the hydrogen content of preloaded samples can change significantly due to effusion during the long test duration. Testing in a hydrogen atmosphere is generally much more complex and expensive than loading the samples with hydrogen and subsequent mechanical testing. A simple and fast test procedure for this kind of two‐stage process is therefore desirable. Using high‐alloyed steel, it is shown that the Erichsen cupping test, DIN EN ISO 20482, can be used to evaluate the embrittlement behavior of sheet metal materials by hydrogen. Due to the short test time, it is particularly suitable for the two‐stage test procedure. A comparison with the slow strain rate test (SSRT) shows that by Erichsen cupping test a similar hydrogen embrittlement index will be obtained than by elongation reduction in SSRT.