The effect of hydrogen on the fracture toughness of alloy X-750 at elevated temperatures

Ni-Cr-Fe alloys are widely used in pressurized water nuclear reactors (PWR). These alloys are susceptible to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in PWR environments. There have been numerous mechanisms of crack advance proposed to describe the SCC of the nickel-base alloys in a PWR environment including slip/film rupture/oxidation and hydrogen embrittlement. It has also been suggested that there is not sufficient evidence to implicate hydrogen in the PWR SCC of nickel-base alloys. This program evaluated the effect of hydrogen on the embrittlement of a nickel-base alloy, alloy X-750, at elevated temperatures with a hydrogen concentration typical of what may be developed from the corrosion reaction. Fracture toughness values and the tearing resistance of alloy X-750 were evaluated in hydrogen gas and in air 260 C and 338 C. It was shown that at 260 C and 338 C alloy X-750 was severely embrittled in high pressure hydrogen gas. Further, the fracture morphology changed from predominantly transgranular ductile dimple fracture in air to predominantly intergranular fracture in hydrogen. The fracture morphology in hydrogen was similar to that found for PWR SCC of this material. This work supports a hydrogen-enhanced fracture mechanism contributing to the SCC of nickel-base alloys at elevated temperatures. (orig.)