Hydrogen embrittlement in Al-Zn-Mg alloys; Semispontaneous decohesion of precipitates

Shimizu, Kazuyuki*; Toda, Hiroyuki*; Hirayama, Kyosuke*; Fujihara, Hiro*; Tsuru, Tomohito; Yamaguchi, Masatake; Sasaki, Taisuke*; Uesugi, Masayuki*; Takeuchi, Akihisa*

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 109, p.1421 - 1436, 2025/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.02.123

Our preceding investigation revealed that multiple hydrogen traps at coherent interfaces of MgZn precipitates initiated spontaneous interface decohesion, causing hydrogen-induced quasicleavage cracking in Al-Zn-Mg alloys. Herein, we performed a quantitative and systematic investigation to discern the mechanisms by which hydrogen trapped at coherent/semi-coherent interfaces of precipitates could influence macroscopic hydrogen embrittlement by modulating the coherent interface of MgZn through aging. To explore this hydrogen embrittlement phenomenon based on hydrogen trapping at the precipitate interface, we determined the hydrogen trapping energy of the semi-coherent MgZn interface via first-principles calculations (0.56 eV/atom). Hydrogen partitioning of all hydrogen trapping sites, including vacancies, grain boundaries, and coherent and semi-coherent MgZn interfaces, revealed that in overaged alloys, over 90% of the hydrogen was sequestered at semi-coherent interfaces. Owing to the inherent characteristics of the MgZn interface, the hydrogen sequestered at the semi-coherent interface decreased the interfacial cohesive energy, causing semispontaneous decohesion of the interface and quasicleavage fracture in the Al-Zn-Mg alloys. These results implied that intergranular fracture was not directly induced by hydrogen trapped at grain boundaries but rather by the decohesion of precipitate interfaces along grain boundaries.

Effect of carbon segregation at prior austenite grain boundary on hydrogen-related crack propagation behavior in 3Mn-0.2C martensitic steels

Okada, Kazuho*; Shibata, Akinobu*; Kimura, Yuji*; Yamaguchi, Masatake; Ebihara, Kenichi; Tsuji, Nobuhiro*

Acta Materialia, 280, p.120288_1 - 120288_14, 2024/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2024.120288

Crystal defects and first-principles calculations; Grain boundary embrittlement, slip deformation, etc.

Yamaguchi, Masatake

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai-Shi ATOMO, 66(6), p.291 - 294, 2024/06

https://doi.org/10.3327/jaesjb.66.6_291

First-principles calculations of lattice defects in metals became available around year 2000 and were gradually performed for planar defects such as surface and grain boundaries, point defects such as atomic vacancies, and line defects such as dislocation cores, in the order of ease of calculation. The author introduces some examples of first-principles calculations of microscopic properties, which seem to strongly influence macroscopic material properties.

First-principles calculations of hydrogen trapping energy on incoherent interfaces of aluminum alloys

Yamaguchi, Masatake; Ebihara, Kenichi; Tsuru, Tomohito; Itakura, Mitsuhiro

Materials Transactions, 64(11), p.2553 - 2559, 2023/11

https://doi.org/10.2320/matertrans.MT-M2023106

We attempted to calculate the hydrogen trapping energies on the incoherent interfaces of MgZn precipitates and MgSi crystallites in aluminum alloys from first-principles calculations. Since the unit cell containing the incoherent interface does not satisfy the periodic boundary condition, resulting in a discontinuity of crystal blocks, the hydrogen trapping energy was calculated in a region far from the discontinuity (vacuum) region. We found considerable trapping energies for hydrogen atoms at the incoherent interfaces consisting of assumed atomistic arrangement. We also conducted preliminary calculations of the reduction in the cohesive energy by hydrogen trapping on the incoherent interfaces of MgSi in the aluminum matrix.

Hydrogen embrittlement and its prevention in 7XXX aluminum alloys with high Zn concentrations

Shimizu, Kazuyuki*; Toda, Hiroyuki*; Fujihara, Hiro*; Yamaguchi, Masatake; Uesugi, Masayuki*; Takeuchi, Akihisa*; Nishijima, Masahiko*; Kamada, Yasuhiro*

Corrosion, 79(8), p.818 - 830, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.5006/4300

7xxx aluminum alloys are representative high-strength aluminum alloys; however, mechanical property degradation due to hydrogen hinders further strengthening. We propose the dispersion of Mn-based second-phase particles as a novel technique for preventing 7xxx aluminum alloy hydrogen embrittlement. In this study, the deformation and fracture behaviors of high hydrogen 7xxx alloys containing 0.0% Mn and 0.6% Mn are observed in situ using synchrotron radiation X-ray tomography. The obtained macroscopic hydrogen embrittlement is quantitatively analyzed based on hydrogen partitioning in alloys. Adding 0.6% Mn, generating second-phase particles with high hydrogen trapping abilities, significantly suppresses hydrogen-induced quasicleavage fracture.

Identification of hydrogen trapping in aluminum alloys muon spin relaxation method and first-principles calculations

Tsuru, Tomohito; Nishimura, Katsuhiko*; Matsuda, Kenji*; Nunomura, Norio*; Namiki, Takahiro*; Lee, S.*; Higemoto, Wataru; Matsuzaki, Teiichiro*; Yamaguchi, Masatake; Ebihara, Kenichi; et al.

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 54(6), p.2374 - 2383, 2023/06

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-023-07024-w

Although hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility of high-strength Al alloys is recognized as a critical issue in the practical use of Al alloys, identifying the hydrogen trapping or distribution has been challenging. In the present study, an effective approach based on experiment and simulation is proposed to explore the potential trap sites in Al alloys. Zero-field muon spin relaxation experiments were carried out for Al-0.5%Mg, Al-0.2%Cu, Al-0.15%Ti, Al-0.011%Ti, Al-0.28%V, and Al-0.015%V (at.%) in the temperature range from 5 to 300 K. The temperature variations of the dipole field widths have revealed three peaks for Al-0.5%Mg, four peaks for Al-0.2%Cu, three peaks for Al-0.011%Ti and Al-0.015%V. Atomic configurations of the muon trapping sites corresponding to the observed peaks are well assigned using the first-principles calculations for the trap energies of hydrogen around a solute and solute-vacancy pair. The extracted linear relationship between the muon peak temperature and the trap energy enables us to explore the potential alloying elements and their complex that have strong binding energies with hydrogen in Al alloys.

Atomistic weak interaction criterion for the specificity of liquid metal embrittlement

Yamaguchi, Masatake; Tsuru, Tomohito; Itakura, Mitsuhiro; Abe, Eiji*

Scientific Reports (Internet), 12(1), p.10886_1 - 10886_7, 2022/07

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-10593-2

no abstracts in English

Dislocation core structure and motion in pure titanium and titanium alloys; A First-principles study

Tsuru, Tomohito; Itakura, Mitsuhiro; Yamaguchi, Masatake; Watanabe, Chihiro*; Miura, Hiromi*

Computational Materials Science, 203, p.111081_1 - 111081_9, 2022/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.commatsci.2021.111081

The deformation mode of some titanium (Ti) alloys differs from that of pure Ti due to the presence of alloying elements in -phase. Herein, we investigated all possible slip modes in pure Ti and the effects of Al and V solutes as typical additive elements on the dislocation motion in -Ti alloys using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The stacking fault (SF) energies in possible slip planes indicated that both Al and V solutes reduce the SF energy in the basal plane and, in contrast, the Al solute increases the SF energy particularly in the prismatic plane. DFT calculations were subsequently performed to simulate dislocation core structures. The energy landscape of the transition between all possible dislocation core structures and the barriers for dislocation glide in various slip planes clarified the nature of dislocation motion in pure Ti. (i) the energy of prismatic core is higher than most stable pyramidal core, and thereby dislocations need to overcome the energy barrier of the cross-slip (22.8 meV/b) when they move in the prismatic plane, (ii) the energy difference between the prismatic and basal cores is larger (127 meV/b), that indicates the basal slip does not activate, (iii) however, the Peierls barrier for motion in the basal plane is not as high (16 meV/b). Direct calculations for the dislocation core around solutes revealed that both Al and V solutes facilitate dislocation motion in the basal plane by reducing the energy difference between the prismatic and basal cores. The effect of solutes characterizes the difference in the deformation mode of pure Ti and -Ti alloys.

Density functional theory study of solute cluster growth processes in Mg-Y-Zn LPSO alloys

Itakura, Mitsuhiro; Yamaguchi, Masatake; Egusa, Daisuke*; Abe, Eiji*

Acta Materialia, 203, p.116491_1 - 116491_9, 2021/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2020.116491

Solute cluster in LPSO alloys plays a key role in their idiosyncratic plastic behavior such as kink formation and kink strengthening. Identifying the atomistic details of the cluster structure is a prerequisite for any atomistic modeling of LPSO alloys aiming for their improved strength and ductility, but there have been uncertainty about interstitial atom in the cluster. While density functional theory calculations have shown that inclusion of interstitial atom is energetically favorable, it has been unclear how the extra atom is provided, how much of the cluster have interstitial atoms, and what kind of element they are. In the present work we use density functional theory calculations to investigate the growth process of the solute cluster, specifically that of Mg-Y-Zn LPSO alloy, to determine the precise atomistic structure of solute cluster. We show that a pair of an interstitial atom and a vacancy is spontaneously created when a certain number of solute atoms are absorbed into the cluster, and all the full-grown cluster should include interstitial atom. We also show that interstitial atom is either Mg or Y atom, while Zn interstitial atom is extremely rare. These knowledge greatly simplifies atomistic modeling of solute clusters in Mg-Y-Zn alloy. Owing to the vacancies emitted from the cluster, vacancy density should be over-saturated in regions where solute clusters are growing, and the increased vacancy density accelerates cluster growth.

Hydrogen trapping in MgSi and AlFeCu intermetallic compounds in aluminum alloy; First-principles calculations

Yamaguchi, Masatake; Tsuru, Tomohito; Ebihara, Kenichi; Itakura, Mitsuhiro; Matsuda, Kenji*; Shimizu, Kazuyuki*; Toda, Hiroyuki*

Materials Transactions, 61(10), p.1907 - 1911, 2020/10

https://doi.org/10.2320/matertrans.MT-M2020201

no abstracts in English