Embrittlement of secondary Hydrogen-containing phases in Titanium-based alloys

Titanium-based alloys possess a high strength-to-weight ratio and good corrosion resistance. Owing to this excellent combination, titanium-based alloys are among the most important materials that are promising for use not only in the production of a large variety of aerospace and chemical equipment and biomaterials but also in shipbuilding and have found other applications in industry. However, in many technological and commercial applications, these alloys are exposed to media serving as sources of hydrogen, and, therefore, severe problems can arise because of the development of their embrittlement under the effect of hydrogen. This paper reports on the results of investigations into the hydrogen embrittlement of the secondary phases formed in titanium-based alloys. The influence of low hydrogen fugacity on the microstructure of alloys was examined by X-ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The absorption and desorption characteristics of hydrogen were determined with the use of a hydrogen analyzer and thermal desorption spectroscopy, respectively. The role played by the microstructure in the hydrogen absorption and desorption is discussed in detail.