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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 May 2014
The effect of strain rate on hydrogen embrittlement of low alloy 4340 steel was studied using double-notched tensile samples electrochemically charged in-situ with hydrogen in 1N H2SO4 + 5 mg/l As2O3 solution. The mechanical response of samples with prior austenitic grain sizes of 10 and 40 μm and martensitic hardness of 43-52 HRC were examined after hydrogen charging times of 0-20 min. Increasing the strain rate for hydrogen charged samples resulted in decreased failure strains and increased evidence of brittle fracture. Brittle fracture surfaces for the harder samples showed primarily intergranular fracture while softer samples exhibited predominantly quasi-cleavage.