Enumeration of the hydrogen-enhanced localized plasticity mechanism for hydrogen embrittlement in structural materials

This paper presents a review of recent experimental evidence and simulation results enumerating the development of the hydrogen-enhanced localized plasticity (HELP) mechanism as a viable hydrogen embrittlement mechanism for structural materials. A wide range of structural materials, including ferritic, martensitic, and austenitic steels, iron, and nickel are covered by the studies reviewed here, as are a variety of mechanical loading conditions and hydrogen charging conditions, supporting the concept that, despite differences in failure mode, there is a universality to the HELP mechanism. (C) 2018 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.