Crystal boundaries on metals can enhance, or reduce, hydrogen's damaging effects
Thursday, February 5, 2015 - 09:00
in Physics & Chemistry
When a metal tube lines an oil well thousands of feet below the surface of the ocean, that metal had better be solid and reliable. Unfortunately, the environment in such deep wells is often rich in hydrogen, a gas that can penetrate high-tech alloys and make them brittle—making fractures and leaks more likely.