Hydrogen Embrittlement of Stainless Steels Fabricated by Conventional and Additive Manufacturing

Hydrogen embrittlement (HE) can significantly reduce the durability of metallic materials used in hydrogen-containing environments, such as hydrogen storage and transmission infrastructure or systems protected by cathodic protection. While the HE behaviour of conventionally manufactured alloys has been studied for more than a century, much less is known about how alloys fabricated by additive manufacturing respond to hydrogen exposure. This thesis compares stainless steels produced by conventional manufacturing with those fabricated using additive manufacturing, reveals how microstructural features affect HE resistance of the materials, and contributes to the development of safer metallic materials for future hydrogen energy systems.