Effect of temperature on hydrogen environment embrittlement of type 316 series austenitic stainless seels at low temperatures

Hydrogen environment embrittlement (HEE) of type 316 series austenitic stainless steels was investigated in the temperature range from 300 to 80 K. Hydrogen showed a marked effect on the tensile properties of type 316, 316L and 316LN stainless steels. HEE increased with decreasing temperature, reached a maximum at around 200 K and decreased rapidly with decreasing temperature down to 80 K. Sensitization enhanced HEE and decreased a temperature immune to HEE. It was suggested that HEE of the type 316 series stainless steels from 300 K to the maximum HEE temperature depended on the transformation of strain-induced martensite and the behavior below the maximum HEE temperature depended on the diffusion of hydrogen.