First use of data fusion and multivariate analysis of ToF-SIMS and SEM image data for studying deuterium-assisted degradation processes in duplex steels

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy are well-acknowledged tools in materials characterization. The ability to map chemical species on the surface of an investigated sample with often low mass detection limits makes ToF-SIMS an essential tool in fields where many question marks concerning degradation processes and damage mechanisms exist. The aim of this paper is to describe the power of data fusion of ToF-SIMS and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy results employing computational methods for multivariate data analysis such as principal component analysis. As a case study the investigation of hydrogen distribution in an artificially charged duplex stainless steel microstructure is presented aiming on a better understanding of hydrogen embrittlement.