Fundamentals of Hydrogen Embrittlement

This book is the first comprehensive treatment ofhydrogen embrittlement of metallic materials, mainly of steels. The subject isincreasingly important with regard to recent requirements for hydrogen energyequipment. Recent progress in revealing the nature of hydrogen embrittlement isremarkable, and this book provides students and researchers engaging inhydrogen problems with a comprehensive view of hydrogen embrittlement coveringbasic behaviors of hydrogen in materials and their various manifestations in degradation of mechanicalproperties. Previous studies are critically reviewed and recent advancesincluding new ideas on the mechanism of embrittlement are presented. Emphasesare put on experimental facts, but their meanings rather than phenomenologicalappearance are given particular attention. Experiments are noted on adoptedconditions since the operating mechanism of hydrogen might differ by materialsand environments. For theories, assumptions and premises employedare noted soas to examine their versatility. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of thesubject, brief descriptions of fundamental ideas are presented when necessary.