Hydrogen Permeability of the Surface Nanocrystalline Structures of Carbon Steel

We studied the hydrogen permeability of the surface nanocrystalline structures formed by the mechanical-pulse treatment on 45 steel with the use of various technological media. It is shown that these structures are characterized by a much lower hydrogen permeability as compared with the untreated steel, thus revealing the formation of a large number of hydrogen traps in the course of treatment. The hardened surface layer is more susceptible to the development of dissipated damage in the course of hydrogenation but may also serve as a barrier for the penetration of hydrogen into the matrix material.