Effect of Heat Treatment Conditions on Corrosion and Hydrogen Diffusion Behaviors of Ultra-Strong Steel Used for Automotive Applications

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of conditions for quenching and/or tempering on the corrosion and hydrogen diffusion behavior of ultra-strong automotive steel in terms of the localized plastic strain related to the dislocation density, and the precipitation of iron carbide. In this study, a range of analytical and experimental methods were deployed, such as field emission-scanning electron microscopy, electron back scatter diffraction, electrochemical permeation technique, slow-strain rate test (SSRT), and electrochemical polarization test. The results showed that the hydrogen diffusion parameters involving the diffusion kinetics and hydrogen solubility, obtained from the permeation experiment, could not be directly indicative of the resistance to hydrogen embrittlement (HE) occurring under the condition with low hydrogen concentration. The SSRT results showed that the partitioning process, leading to decrease in localized plastic strain and dislocation density in the sample, results in a high resistance to HE-induced by aqueous corrosion. Conversely, coarse iron carbide, precipitated during heat treatment, weakened the long-term corrosion resistance. This can also be a controlling factor for the development of ultra-strong steel with superior corrosion and HE resistance.