Phys.org  July 19, 2024 Researchers at Texas A&M University conducted in situ tensile straining experiments to investigate the role of hydrogen and slip in crack initiation in nickel-based alloy 725. The experiments revealed no tendency for hydrogen to enhance localized slip and no necessity of slip for crack initiation. Using electrochemical charging introduced hydrogen into samples, melted extraction was used to measure hydrogen content. Image correlation analyzed localized plastic strains during in situ tensile tests. Cracks initiated both in regions with and without nearby localized slip. The fraction of cracks initiating with no nearby slip was greater at higher hydrogen […]