Hydrogen Embrittlement of Medium Mn Steels

Recent research efforts to develop advanced-/ultrahigh-strength medium-Mn steels have led to the development of a variety of alloying concepts, thermo-mechanical processing routes, and microstructural variants for these steel grades. However, certain grades of advanced-/ultrahigh-strength steels (A/UHSS) are known to be highly susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement, due to their high strength levels. Hydrogen embrittlement characteristics of medium-Mn steels are less understood compared to other classes of A/UHSS, such as high Mn twinning-induced plasticity steel, because of the relatively short history of the development of this steel class and the complex nature of multiphase, fine-grained microstructures that are present in medium-Mn steels. The motivation of this paper is to review the current understanding of the hydrogen embrittlement characteristics of medium or intermediate Mn (4 to 15 wt pct) multiphase steels and to address various alloying and processing strategies that are available to enhance the hydrogen-resistance of these steel grades.

Automated summary

Recent research has focused on developing advanced/ultrahigh-strength medium-Mn steels, leading to the introduction of new alloying concepts, processing routes, and microstructural variants. Despite this progress, certain grades of A/UHSS are still highly susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement due to their high strength levels. This paper aims to review the current understanding of hydrogen embrittlement in medium or intermediate Mn multiphase steels and discuss various alloying and processing strategies to enhance their resistance to hydrogen.