Peculiarities of metal hydrogen-phase hardening as a controllable physical phenomenon

Phenomenon of hydrogen-phase hardening (HPH) is considered; it presupposes that controlled transition of metal in new highly hardened structural states with peculiar physical properties takes place under certain conditions at hydrogen saturation and α-solid solution reversible hydride β-phase transformation. Physical reasons far material hardening, changes in its physical, physical-chenical and operation properties under hydrogen-phase hardening are conditioned, first of all, by internal strain (phase hardening) of material at hydrogen saturation, and development of hydride transformations with participation of phases with different specific volume, and, secondly, by active interaction of occluded hydrogen and formed hydride phase with generated defects of crystal structure. The character of hydrogen-phase hardening manifestation and its efficiency essentially depend on material nature and realization conditions. It is noted that a possibility to essentially strengthen and to treat metals and alloys without ''natural'' olymorphism palladium, nickel, niobium, tantalum, etc. has arised for the first time in science using ''artificial'' polymorphism induced by hydrogen. Hydrogen may be used as universal external agent and alloying element assuring efficiency of new methods for material treatment. It is shown that hydrogen effect on materials is one of fundamental is one of fundamental control factors such as temperature, pressure of field and particle fluxes