Investigating zinc-assisted liquid metal embrittlement in ferritic and austenitic steels: Correlation between crack susceptibility and failure mechanism

Liquid metal embrittlement (LME) is a problematic phenomenon that occurs when a reactive liquid metal attacks the grain boundaries of ductile solid metal, leading to brittle failure under the application of tensile stress. Despite considerable research efforts to understand LME, the nuances associated with the influence of initial microstructure on LME susceptibility and failure mechanism for the iron‑zinc (FeZn) system have not been thoroughly …