Study of the hydrogen uptake in deformed steel using the microcapillary cell technique

•Increasing the degree of deformation in steel can increase the amount of trapped hydrogen (H) in the steel; which can be measured in the regions with higher local strain.•A clear relation between the deformation degree and the local H-content is established for a dual phase steel.•Microstructural characterizations and micro-hardness measurements in punched steel revealed that the shear affected zone is located nearby the punched hole.•Local hydrogen measurements confirmed the presence of a locally very high amount of hydrogen within the shear affected zone. The microcapillary cell electrochemical method is capable of evaluating hydrogen (H) uptake in steel with respect to deformation, which is induced by various mechanical methods (cold rolling, bending and punching). A clear relation between the deformation degree and the local H-content is established for dual phase (DP600) steel. The magnitude of the deformation nearby a punched edge is quantitatively determined using electron backscatter diffraction technique. A shear-affected zone is identified at the edge of the punched hole. The dedicated local electrochemical measurements confirm the presence of high concentrations of local-H in this shear affected zone, which is likely detrimental for H-embrittlement.