Work

The Current Status and Development Trends of Assessment Technologies for the Hydrogen Embrittlement Resistance of High‐Strength Steel Materials

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: To achieve lightweighting in automotive, machinery and defense industries, the strength level of industrial steel is increasing worldwide. However, when steel strength exceeds 1.0 GPa, hydrogen embrittlement (HE) becomes a critical issue under harsh service conditions. A scientific, accurate and feasible method for evaluating HE susceptibility is essential for upstream steel R&D, midstream part manufacturing and downstream material selection. This review summarizes eight representative test methods widely used globally: constant‐strain bending, constant‐load tensile, slow strain rate tensile, cup, step‐by‐step force, sharp cold bending, punching tensile, and cut‐notch hydrogen charging. Their technical principles, application scopes, advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Future trends in HE assessment include: (1) further standardization of testing methods for more accurate and quantifiable results; (2) development of specialized standardized equipment; (3) integration of multiscale mechanical testing with microstructural analysis; (4) application of advanced monitoring techniques such as digital image correlation (DIC) and acoustic emission; and (5) introduction of artificial intelligence and big data to enable more advanced, convenient and accurate evaluation approaches.

Source: steel research international

DOI: 10.1002/srin.70621