Research progress on hydrogen embrittlement of stainless steel

With the acceleration of the industrialization process of hydrogen energy, the hydrogen embrittlement problem faced by metal materials in hydrogen production, hydrogen storage and hydrogen use has gradually attracted attention. Although stainless steel is widely used in petroleum, chemical and energy fields due to its good corrosion resistance, it is still difficult to avoid the hydrogen embrittlement of stainless steel in the presence of hydrogen. There are many reports on the effects of microstructure, grain boundary characteristic distribution and second-phase particles on the hydrogen embrittlement behavior of stainless steel. There are apparent differences in the hydrogen embrittlement mechanism of different matrix stainless steels such as austenite, martensite and ferrite. The internal relationship between the composition, organization, process and hydrogen embrittlement of stainless steel needs to be further discussed in the specific service environment. In this paper, the research status of hydrogen embrittlement of different types of stainless steel was summarized and analyzed, and the influence of different matrix structures and external environments on hydrogen embrittlement of stainless steel was discussed. The strategy of the regulating hydrogen trap of stainless steel was put forward from two aspects of composition design and process optimization, providing a theoretical reference for further development of hydrogen embrittlement-resistant stainless steel.