This work evaluates the effect of hydrogen on the mechanical integrity of a weld in a martensitic base metal. Different regions in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) are reproduced to investigate the interaction of the local microstructure with hydrogen. The hardness strongly depends on the distance from the welding joint due to the different phases present. The HAZ contains zones of acicular ferrite, coarse martensite and tempered martensite. Additionally, the entire weld is subjected to a constant load while being simultaneously electrochemically charged with hydrogen. During this test, a crack initiates in the filler, showing the highest hydrogen solubility as demonstrated by thermal desorption spectroscopy, while propagation occurs along the microstructure of the HAZ with the highest hardness level.
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