Interfacial engineering of inclusions for synergistic toughening and hydrogen embrittlement resistance in high-strength pipeline steels
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: High-strength pipeline steels are susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement (HE), with inclusions exacerbating this vulnerability. This study employed deoxidation to regulate inclusion/matrix interfacial properties, converting them into functional units that act as deep hydrogen traps and promote acicular ferrite (AF) nucleation. The atomic-scale structure, chemical characteristics, and hydrogen trapping capacity of inclusion/matrix interfaces exhibiting “mosaic” and “core-shell” microstructures were systematically investigated using aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. Results reveal that both oxygen vacancies in inclusion/matrix interfaces and tensile strain fields in the matrix contribute to hydrogen trapping at incoherent interfaces. The TiO/Fe interface in “core-shell” inclusions exhibits stronger trapping capability than Ti₂O₃/Fe interface in “mosaic” inclusions. These interfaces also enhance AF nucleation and grain refinement, improving HE resistance and synergistic toughening. These findings provide a novel strategy for developing HE-resistant high-strength steels by interface engineering.
Source: npj Materials Degradation
Authors: Yunfeng Xu, Feng Huang, Ahmed Moneeb Elsabbagh, Qian Hu, Shengqiang Song, Liwei Li, Hua Zhang, Zhixian Peng, Shiqi Zhang, Jing Liu, Lijie Qiao
Language: English
Subfield: Metals and Alloys
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,590
Awards: G2827761868, G548736900, G8500083441
OpenAlex ID: W7115017838