Evaluating the Resistance of Austenitic Stainless Steel Welds to Hydrogen Embrittlement

Austenitic stainless steels are used extensively in hydrogen gas containment components due to their known resilience in hydrogen environments. Depending on the conditions, degradation can occur in austenitic stainless steels but typically the materials retain sufficient mechanical properties within such extreme environments. In many hydrogen containment applications, it is necessary or advantageous to join components through welding as it ensures minimal gas leakage, unlike mechanical fittings that can become leak paths that develop over time. Over the years many studies have focused on the mechanical behavior of austenitic stainless steels in hydrogen environments and determined their properties to be sufficient for most applications. However, significantly less data have been generated on austenitic stainless steel welds, which can exhibit more degradation than the base material. In this paper, we assess the trends observed in austenitic stainless steel welds tested in hydrogen. Experiments of welds including tensile and fracture toughness testing are assessed and comparisons to behavior of base metals are discussed.