Elastic crack-tip field in hydride forming metals under hydrogen chemical equilibrium

Hydride precipitation ahead of a crack is examined under conditions of hydrogen chemical equilibrium, steady-state heat conduction and linear elastic metal behavior. The limiting conditions are approached via the interaction of the operating physical mechanisms of material deformation, hydrogen diffusion and energy flow. Analytical relations are presented for the distributions of hydrogen concentration in solid solution, hydride volume fraction and stress components, as well as for the hydride precipitation zone boundary. It is shown that there is an annulus, within the hydride precipitation zone, where stresses, although vary according to 1/root r-singularity, deviate significantly from the well-known K-field, being smaller, according to the difference of hydrostatic stress before and after hydride precipitation. The hydride precipitation zone increases with crack-tip constraint, given by T-stress. In addition, temperature gradient affects hydride precipitation zone size, by controlling stress trace distribution.