Hydrogen-induced strengthening in V-Ti alloys

The results of this study show that hydrogen increases the yield strength and decreases the work hardening behavior in the low temperature region where embrittlement occurs in both hydride (vanadium and V-1%Ti) and non-hydride (V-5%Ti and V-10%Ti) forming V-Ti alloys. Solid solution softening as a result of additions of titanium is observed in non-hydrogenated V-1%Ti and V-5%Ti but it is not apparent in hydrogenated V-Ti alloys. Analysis of the strengthening in the hydrogenated V-Ti alloys shows that the predominant effect of hydrogen is to increase the thermally activated component of the yield stress. It appears that a mechanism based on stress-induced ordering of interstitial atoms around dislocations predicts strengthening behavior in reasonable agreement with the evperimental results.