Hydrogen absorption-desorption mechanisms and hydrogen embrittlement in metallic materials – Internship at CRM Group
Theme of the internship / thesis
Hydrogen is a key element in today’s world. A promising candidate in the context of the energy transition, hydrogen is being scrutinised from all sides in order to optimise and decarbonise its production and uses. Among other things, the interactions between hydrogen and metallic materials are investigated. Indeed, in various sectors such as the automotive, aeronautics and nuclear industries, hydrogen embrittlement phenomena have been reported. Hydrogen, due to its ubiquity in different forms and its specific physical properties (small size and mass, among others), is able to enter metals in atomic form and diffuse into them easily, in order to participate in / promote different damage mechanisms. Moreover, the higher the mechanical strength of the material, the more likely hydrogen embrittlement phenomena are to occur, which therefore poses a major concern in the development of stronger grades.
At the CRM Group, a laboratory is dedicated to the study of these phenomena of hydrogen embrittlement. The metal is artificially charged with hydrogen under controlled conditions (via heat treatments or electrochemical means) and then analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The impact of hydrogen on mechanical properties can also be assessed. Understanding the mechanisms of hydrogen absorption and desorption is a key point, with the aim of preventing hydrogen from embrittlement the material.
Descriptions of objectives and tasks
In this context, the internship aims at a better understanding of the mechanisms of hydrogen absorption and desorption during different processes, in order to better control them, as well as the development of appropriate hydrogen characterization techniques. To achieve this, the quantity and nature of the hydrogen absorbed are related to the hydrogen loading parameters and the nature of the material (surface condition, microstructure, coating).
In practice, the intern will join the team of researchers and technicians of the “Hydrogen & Electrochemistry” department and will be responsible for the following tasks:
- Bibliographic study
- Carrying out experimental manipulations: hydrogen loading, hydrogen measurement, mechanical tests,…
- Analysis and discussion of the results among themselves and with regard to the literature
- Synthesis and communication of work in the form of reports and presentations