Blistering and microcracking (or fissuring) in a precharged specimen of rail steel were examined using optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In-situ initiation of the blister and microcrack was observed through repeatedly charging a TEM sample. The result indicated that the blister formed first during charging, and then the microcrack initiated at the wall of the blister because of a synergistic effect between hydrogen enrichment and increasing hydrogen pressure.

Subject
Rail, Hydrogen concentration, Microcracks, Transmission electron microscopy, Walls, Crack initiation, Fissures, Stress, Steel, Hydrophobic interaction chromatography, Blistering, Voids, Hydrogen
Keywords:
blister, fissure, hydrogen, optical microscopy, rail steel, transmission electron microscopy
NACE International
2000
You do not currently have access to this content.