Based on the hydrogen mass balance calculations and current transient analysis, this study evaluates how strength enhancement resulting from cold rolling and heat treatment influences the hydrogen entry process and hydrogen trap concentration in the sheet. The corrosion and hydrogen adsorption behaviors of carbon steel sheets with varying hardness levels were investigated electrochemically in a 0.15 mol dm-3 Na2SO4 aqueous solution. The total hydrogen content in the steel sheets was determined through mass balance calculations using a modified Devanathan-Stachurski cell combined with the channel flow double-electrode technique. In this cell, hydrogen molecules that recombined at the first working electrode (entry side) were detected at the second working electrode positioned downstream in the entry-side channel. The hydrogen mass in the sheet increased with increasing the tensile strength of the steel, mirroring the trend observed in the corrosion current density. These findings provide a quantitative link between microstructural strengthening and hydrogen uptake.
Fushimi et al. (Thu,) studied this question.