Original paper(Vol.47 No.8 pp.858)

Hydrogen assisted crack propagation behavior of 2 1/4 Cr-1Mo steel for petroleum reactor

Inoue Takao; Yokomaku Toshinori; Sakai Tadamichi; Nose Shiro

Abstract:The hydrogen assisted crack propagation behavior of 2 1/4Cr-1Mo steel for a petroleum reactor was examined using a rising CMOD test which used a direct current potential difference (dcPD) method to measure crack extension. The initial hydrogen content in the specimens was about 5ppm when treated with thermal hydrogen charging. The equation to calibrate dcPD, defined in ASTM E647 for fatigue crack growth, gave a shorter crack extension than the actual hydrogen assisted crack measured on fracture surfaces. A calibration curve for hydrogen cracking was derived from the relation between the actual crack extension and dcPD. The stress intensity factor at the hydrogen assisted crack initiation, KIH, was 23 to 28 MPam1/2 and depended on the loading rate, dK/dt. Crack extension near the side surfaces was less than inside and the crack front was curved. The apparent stress intensity factor at the hydrogen assisted crack arrest, KTH, calculated using ASTM E813 was 52 to 67 MPa1/2. The KTH on deepest crack front was estimated using FEM, and found to be smaller than the apparent KTH.

Key Words:hydrogen-assisted crack, stress intensity factor, crack initiation, crack arrest, crack propagation