EFFECT OF HYDROGEN IN ALUMINUM AND ALUMINUM-ALLOYS - A REVIEW

Susceptibility of aluminium and its alloys towards hydrogen embrittlem ent has been well established. Still a lot of confusion exists on the question of transport of hydrogen and its possible role in stress corr osion cracking. This paper reviews some of the fundamental properties of hydrogen in aluminium and its alloys and its effect on mechanical p roperties. The importance of hydrogen embrittlement over anodic dissol ution to explain the stress corrosion cracking mechanism of these allo ys is also examined in considerable detail. The various experimental f indings concerning the link between hydrogen embrittlement and stress corrosion cracking are also discussed.