Hydrogen Embrittlement and Failure Mechanisms in Fe-18Mn-8Al-1C-5Ni Steel with Dual B2/κ-Carbide Precipitates

The hydrogen embrittlement (HE) behavior of an Fe-18Mn-8Al-1C-5Ni lightweight steel containing a fine and uniformly distributed B2 phase and κ-carbide was investigated by slow strain rate tensile testing with in situ hydrogen charging. Hydrogen charging reduces the elongation from 28.2% to 11.2%, while preserving an ultimate tensile strength above 1100 MPa and yielding an HE index of 60.2%. A thermal desorption analysis reveals a multi-peak desorption curve corresponding to diffusible hydrogen, hydrogen reversibly trapped at κ-carbides, and hydrogen strongly bound at the B2/γ interfaces, revealing a hierarchical hydrogen trapping behavior. Electron backscatter diffraction and electron channeling contrast imaging analyses near the fracture head region further reveal that localized hydrogen enrichment at the B2/γ boundaries induces severe stress concentration and interfacial weakening, shifting the fracture mode from ductile micro-void coalescence in air to hydrogen assisted intergranular and interphase cracking. This study clarifies the distinct roles of coherent κ-carbide and B2/γ interfaces in hydrogen trapping and crack initiation, offering a microstructure-based perspective for designing high-strength, HE resistant lightweight steels.