influence of lithium and lithium plus lithium hydride exposures on the uniaxial tensile properties of AISI 316 and 304 type stainless steels

Abstract Tensile specimen were exposed, at 600°C, to pure lithium and to lithium plus lithium hydride at constant hydrogen partial pressure, corresponding to a solubility of 40 ppm of hydrogen in lithium. The samples were subsequently tensile tested at room temperature as well as at 600°C and the mechanical properties compared to those of solution annealed and heat treated samples. The results showed that the loss in tensile ductility is essentially caused by thermal aging. The additional changes of the mechanical properties due to exposure to pure lithium and to lithium containing LiH were found to be minimal.