Characteristic change of hydrogen permeation in stainless steel plate by BN coating

Hydrogen cracking of high-strength steels is a major concern in steel processing and service, and occurs in several applications, such as cracking of rolled steel products, cold cracking of welds, and as a result of corrosion in H2S environments. Low-permeation hard coatings can be used as wear-resistant hydrogen permeation barriers. When coated on stainless steel they can reduce the rate of hydrogen transport. They might be useful for sterling engines, tritium containment, or components of hydrogen fuel cells. The hydrogen permeation behavior of BN-coated Type 316L stainless steel was investigated. In comparison with TiN and SiC coatings, the c-BN (cubic boron nitride) coating, deposited by magnetically enhanced plasma ion plating, was effective to reduce the rate of hydrogen permeation through stainless steel. The BN coating can be used for high-temperature and wear-resistant applications as hydrogen permeation barriers. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.