Embrittlement is a loss of ductility of a material, making it brittle. Various materials have different mechanisms of embrittlement.
Grain boundary embrittlement is a phenomenon where materials become brittle due to the segregation of impurities or the presence of defects at the boundaries between individual grains in a polycrystalline material. This can weaken the material and reduce its ability to deform plastically, making it more susceptible to fracture. Embrittlement can occur due to factors such as intergranular fracture, stress concentrators, and environmental factors.
To eliminate the problem of caustic embrittlement use sodium phosphate instead of sodium carbonate as softening reagents. Adding tannin or lignin to boiler water blocks the hair-line cracks and prevents infiltration of NaOH into these areas. Adding Na2SO4 to boiler water also blocks the hair-line cracks.
Phenolic resins are generally not very UV resistant and can degrade when exposed to sunlight, which can lead to discoloration, embrittlement, and loss of properties. To enhance UV resistance, additives or coatings can be used to protect phenolic materials from UV radiation.
Heavy water (D2O) is not inherently corrosive. However, it can enhance certain types of corrosion in materials that are sensitive to hydrogen embrittlement, such as some types of metals. In these cases, the presence of deuterium in heavy water can accelerate the corrosion process.
H2S is corrosive because it reacts with metal ions to form metal sulfides, which can break down the metal surfaces through chemical reactions. Additionally, H2S can promote hydrogen embrittlement in certain metals, causing them to become weak and prone to cracking.
Embrittlement is a loss of ductility of a material, making it brittle. Various materials have different mechanisms of embrittlement.
caustic embrittlement
Grain boundary embrittlement is a phenomenon where materials become brittle due to the segregation of impurities or the presence of defects at the boundaries between individual grains in a polycrystalline material. This can weaken the material and reduce its ability to deform plastically, making it more susceptible to fracture. Embrittlement can occur due to factors such as intergranular fracture, stress concentrators, and environmental factors.
If a loss of ductility caused because of temperature, it will be temperature embrittlement. When welding, if cooling rate not controlled, it will leads to faster cooling(Martensitic zone) and will produce brittle structure which normally defined as temperature embritttlement.
It may lead to caustic embrittlement.
Hydrogen embrittlement occurs in steel when atomic hydrogen diffuses into the steel material, causing it to become brittle. This happens when hydrogen atoms are absorbed during processing or service conditions, leading to the formation of hydrides that weaken the steel's structure. Factors such as high-stress levels, exposure to acidic environments, and certain manufacturing processes can contribute to hydrogen embrittlement in steel.
Hydrogen embrittlement is a phenomenon that occurs when some metals and alloys are exposed to hydrogen and absorb a sufficient amount of it. The presence of hydrogen interrupts the normal delocalization of bonding electrons in metal objects, and as a result, the metal object loses most or all of its ductility, breaking easily when deformed.Hydrogen embrittlement is the process by which various metals, most importantly high-strength steel, become brittle and fracture following exposure to hydrogen.
caustic embrittlement (′kö·stik im′brid·əl·mənt) (metallurgy) Intercrystalline cracking of steel caused by exposure to caustic solutions above 70°C while under tensile stress; once common in riveted boilers. Also known as caustic cracking.
To eliminate the problem of caustic embrittlement use sodium phosphate instead of sodium carbonate as softening reagents. Adding tannin or lignin to boiler water blocks the hair-line cracks and prevents infiltration of NaOH into these areas. Adding Na2SO4 to boiler water also blocks the hair-line cracks.
Hydrogen is used in metallurgy for processes such as hydrogen reduction and hydrogen embrittlement. In hydrogen reduction, hydrogen gas is used to reduce metal ores into pure metals. However, hydrogen embrittlement can occur when hydrogen atoms penetrate the metal structure, causing it to become brittle and susceptible to cracking.
Solid metal induced embrittlement (SMIE) is very similar to liquid metal induced embrittlement (LMIE or LME). SMIE occurs at lower temperatures than LMIE, with elements such as zinc, cadmium and mercury being atomically adsorbed into the surface of ferritic/austenitic based steels (and also aluminium in the case of mercury). The diffusion of these elements towards grain boundaries occurs and a rate which is at least an order of magnitude less than LMIE and leads to a loss of ductility, particularly when used for cyclic temperature service (poor ductility at lower temperatures).
Hydrogen is not a corrosive gas; but the hydrogen absorbed in metals may lead to the formation of metal hydrides and to embrittlement.