Hydrogen embrittlement (HE) is a broadly recognized phenomenon in metallic materials. If not well understood and managed, HE may lead to catastrophic environmental failures in vessels containing hydrogen, such as pipelines and storage tanks. HE can affect the mechanical properties of materials such as ductility, toughness, and strength, mainly through the interaction between metal defects and hydrogen. Various phenomena such as hydrogen adsorption, hydrogen diffusion, and hydrogen interactions with intrinsic trapping sites like dislocations, voids, grain boundaries, and oxide/matrix interfaces are involved in this process. It is important to understand HE mechanisms to develop effective hydrogen resistant strategies. Tensile, double cantilever beam, bent beam, and fatigue tests are among the most common techniques employed to study HE. This article reviews hydrogen diffusion behavior, mechanisms, and characterization techniques.
Keywords: damage mechanisms; hydrogen diffusion; hydrogen embrittlement; mechanical properties.