Hydrogen cracking of ferritic stainless steel thermal storage tanks

A ferritic stainless steel (SUS436L), which was subjected to various kinds of reduction ratio was precharged with hydrogen at 40 degrees C in 15% HCl solution by employing galvanic reaction with zinc. Tensile tests were perfo rmed in air at room temperature on both uncharged and charge specimens. Fin ite element method (FEM) analyses were carried out to obtain strain at pane l corners under various different internal radii in a thermal storage tank when it was subjected to internal pressure. As a result, it was found that the value of internal corner radius/thickness of the panel (R/t) should be more than about 2 in order to prevent hydrogen embrittlement cracking. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. Ali rights reserved.