Revealing Hydrogen Embrittlement of Alloys in Real Time (ReHEART)

Development and utlization of neutron techniques provide unique opportunities for scientific research to solve globle challenges in our society.

Hydrogen embrittlement (HE) leads to loss of ductility, reduction of load-bearing capability, and catastrophic failures of metallic materials. Over a century HE has remained to be a challenge in material science because it is hard to detect H in metals.

Atomic H generated on metal surfaces can be absorbed by the microstructure and accumulate at H traps, causing embrittlement and cracking in the microstructure, but little is known about the interplay between H distribution and strain localization leading to HE.

Neutrons, with a high sensitivity to H and penetration power, provide unique possibilities to detect H, strain, and H-induced damages in metals simultaneously.

ReHEART is a joint effort by KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Lund University, ESS, and industrial partners with combined expertise in material degradation and HE, and neutron and synchrotron techniques.

We aim to develop a novel sample environment and protocol that enable in-situ/operando, time-of-flight neutron diffraction and imaging measurement of local distribution of H, strain and microstructure evolution in metals under H charging and mechanical loading, and perform case studies of selected engineering alloys to elucidate the roles of H and strain concentrations on HE and crack formation, and hence tackle one of today’s utmost challenges of metallic materials.