A self-induced stress model for simulating hydride formation at flaws

Formation of hydride at stress concentrations occurs in some materials as part of a stable cracking mechanism called delayed hydride cracking (DHC). As hydrogen combines with matrix material to become hydride, transformation strain is accommodated by local redistribution of stress. Since stress gradients drive hydrogen diffusion, this self-induced stress alters the conditions for subsequent hydride growth, and conditions required to fracture the hydrided material. A numerical model, using the finite element method, has been developed which couples the effect of stress driven hydrogen diffusion, and stress due to applied loads and hydride formation. Strong nonlinearities in this problem are solved effectively by a unique adaptation of the dynamic relaxation method. The simulation provides the volume fraction distribution of hydride, and the corresponding stress distribution. Application of the model to hydride formation at sharp and blunt flaws predicts hydride distribution shapes that are in good agreement with hydrides observed in experiments.