Ductility Loss in Ductile Cast Iron with Internal Hydrogen

Hydrogen-induced ductility loss in ductile cast iron (DCI) was studied by conducting a series of tensile tests with three different crosshead speeds. By utilizing the thermal desorption spectroscopy and the hydrogen microprint technique, it was found that most of the solute hydrogen was diffusive and mainly segregated at the graphite, graphite/matrix interface zone, and the cementite of pearlite in the matrix. The fracture process of the non-charged specimen was dominated by the ductile dimple fracture, whereas that of the hydrogen-charged specimen became less ductile because of the accompanying interconnecting cracks between the adjacent graphite nodules. Inside the hydrogen-charged specimen, the interspaces generated by the interfacial debonding between graphite and matrix are filled with hydrogen gas in the early stage of the fracture process. In the subsequent fracture process, such a local hydrogen gas atmosphere coupled with a stress-induced diffusion attracts hydrogen to the crack tip, which results in a time-dependent ductility loss.