Technical Reference on Hydrogen Compatibility of Materials

Nickel Alloys:
Solid-Solution Alloys
Ni-Cr Alloys (code 5110)

Prepared by:

C. San Marchi, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore CA

Editors
C. San Marchi
B.P. Somerday
Sandia National Laboratories

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 Technical Reference on Hydrogen Compatibility of Materials
Nickel Alloys:

Solid-Solution Ni-Cr Alloys (code 5110)

1. General
Solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys are used in specialty applications for their combination of
strength and high-corrosion resistance, especially at elevated temperature. For the purposes of
this discussion, all non-precipitation-hardening, nickel-base alloys with chromium greater than
about 10 wt% are considered to be solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys. This represents a wide range of
alloy compositions, which makes it difficult to generalize the effects of materials variables on
hydrogen-assisted fracture. On the other hand, given the relatively limited data available to
assess the effects of gaseous hydrogen on these alloys, this is a convenient classification. The
nominally single-phase microstructure of the solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys also suggests a single
classification for the purposes of discussing the effects of hydrogen on material properties.
The solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys have similar (single-phase) microstructure as the austenitic
stainless steels, which provides an analogy for understanding hydrogen interactions, since the
latter have been more extensively studied in gaseous hydrogen environments. A number of
studies have drawn this parallel, hypothesizing that hydrogen enhances localization of
deformation in solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys and that the relative resistance to hydrogen-assisted
fracture can be related to the intrinsic character of deformation in the materials [1, 2]. Alloys
with greater stacking fault energy show better resistance to hydrogen-assisted fracture in tensile
tests; for example, relatively low-chromium content in the solid-solution Ni-Cr-Fe alloys
increases stacking fault energy (for constant iron content) and resistance to hydrogen-assisted
fracture [1], while in austenitic stainless steels high-nickel content increases stacking fault
energy and resistance to hydrogen-assisted fracture [3, 4]. Carbide precipitation, especially on
grain boundaries, similarly enhances hydrogen-assisted fracture in solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys [2,
5] as in austenitic stainless steels [6, 7]. There are also important differences between solid-
solution Ni-Cr alloys and austenitic stainless steels. Although generally absent from the
austenitic stainless steels (with the possible exception of high-nitrogen stainless steel alloys),
short-range ordering is an important phenomenon in Ni-Cr alloys that enhances hydrogen-
assisted fracture [8-12]. Impurity segregation to grain boundaries (particularly phosphorus) is
also implicated in hydrogen-assisted fracture of solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys [10-13] to a greater
extent than in austenitic stainless steels.
Environmental variables also are expected to have similar effects on hydrogen-assisted
fracture in both solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys and the austenitic stainless steels. For example, low
temperature enhances localized deformation and exacerbates hydrogen-assisted fracture.
In summary, materials characteristics (such as ordering and low stacking fault energy) as
well as environmental variables (such as temperature) that promote slip localization in solid-
solution Ni-Cr alloys promote hydrogen-assisted fracture. In addition, carbide precipitation and
grain boundary segregation also exacerbate hydrogen-assisted fracture, since their influence is
enhanced by the role of hydrogen in localizing deformation [2].

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Nickel Alloys Solid-Solution Ni-Cr Alloys

1.1 Composition and microstructure

The solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys are highly alloyed, typically containing chromium in the
range of 15 to 30 wt% (depending on the specifics of the alloy). These alloys generally contain 2
to 20 wt% iron, as well as significant amounts of molybdenum and cobalt in some alloys (as
much as 18 and 15 wt% respectively). Tungsten and niobium are also present in modest amounts
in some alloy variations. The elements that promote γ’ precipitation (aluminum and titanium in
particular) are generally limited to significantly less than 1 wt% each. Table 1.1.1 lists
compositional ranges for several common solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys.
The solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys are nominally single phase with the FCC crystal structure,
which endows them with characteristics similar to the austenitic stainless steels. Carbon contents
are generally low, although the alloys can still be susceptible to precipitation of carbides at
elevated temperature, particularly on grain boundaries. In addition, Ni-Cr alloys can be
susceptible to ordering, which impacts deformation and the transport of hydrogen.

1.2 Common designations

Tradenames are commonly used for these alloys, including Inconel, Hastelloy, Nimonic, and
many others. These same tradenames are also applied to precipitation-strengthened alloys. The
tradename is occasionally dropped, such as alloy 600 and Alloy 22 in reference to Inconel 600
and Hastelloy C-22, respectively. For the purposes of this document, the Incoloy alloys (e.g.,
Incoloy 800 and 900 alloys) are considered iron alloys and included in the appropriate chapters.

2. Permeability, Diffusivity and Solubility

There are a number of gas-permeation studies that report the transport properties of hydrogen
in the nickel-base alloys. The permeation, diffusion and solubility parameters from these studies
are given in Table 2.1. The magnitude and temperature dependence of the hydrogen transport
parameters are similar to those reported for austenitic stainless steels (Figures 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3).
In addition, thermal precharging with hydrogen to equilibrium saturation can be used to
determine the solubility at a specific temperature (provided that the precharging temperature is
sufficiently high that hydrogen is not trapped and that hydrogen diffusivity is sufficiently low to
prevent hydrogen loss after precharging). Figure 2.2 summarizes the solubility that is calculated
from studies reporting the hydrogen content of specimens that were saturated in gaseous
hydrogen at elevated temperature.
The magnitude and temperature dependence of hydrogen permeability is very consistent
between studies on various solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys and values reported for austenitic stainless
steels (Figure 2.1). The diffusivity of hydrogen in the solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys appears to be
slightly greater than for austenitic stainless steels. Diffusion studies using isothermal desorption
[14] and electrochemical [15] methods give relationships that are consistent with the higher
temperature, gas-permeation measurements. In addition, these diffusion studies suggest that
diffusivity depends on composition of the Ni-Cr alloys: for example, diffusivity of hydrogen in
Inconel 600 is greater than in Inconel 690 by a factor of about five [14, 15]. Alloys with high
chromium content (such as Inconel 690) have greater solubility for hydrogen than alloys with
comparatively lower chromium content (such as Inconel 600); this is shown in Figure 2.4. Thus,
alloys with comparatively high chromium content have relatively low hydrogen diffusivity (since
the permeability is nominally constant and the transport properties are related: " = DS ). The

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Nickel Alloys Solid-Solution Ni-Cr Alloys

calculated values of solubility given in Table 2.2 are also shown on the plot of solubility in
Figure 2.3, further demonstrating the range of solubility that can be expected for solid-solution
Ni-Cr alloys with different composition. Other alloying elements may also have a significant
impact, particularly those that can vary over a wide range such as iron, molybdenum, and cobalt,
but their effect on transport properties has not been studied.
Strain-hardening appears to have essentially no effect on the apparent diffusivity for some
alloys (such as, Inconel 690 [14, 15] and Hastelloy C-276 [16, 17]), but can have modest effects
on the apparent diffusivity in other alloys (such as, Inconel 600 [14, 15] and Hastelloy G [17]).
Ordering has been invoked to explain small reductions of hydrogen diffusivity in Hastelloy C-
276 subjected to low-temperature aging (473K to 773K) [16], although no reduction of hydrogen
diffusivity is observed for Hastelloy G subjected to the same aging treatments [17]. In general,
however, the role of strain-hardening and ordering on hydrogen transport in solid-solution Ni-Cr
alloys is not well understood.
Hydrogen trapping in solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys is generally attributed to carbides [14, 17],
as well as dislocations [15]. In alloys with very low carbon content (such as Hastelloy C-276),
hydrogen trapping is reported to be absent [16, 17] or attributed to phosphorus segregation to
grain boundaries [18].

3. Mechanical Properties: Effects of Gaseous Hydrogen

3.1 Tensile properties

3.1.1 Smooth tensile properties

The effects of hydrogen on the tensile properties of solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys can be
significant. In general, the tensile ductility is reduced when these alloys are tested in high-
pressure gaseous hydrogen [7, 19], with the exception of Hastelloy X, which shows no effects of
gaseous hydrogen at room temperature [20]. The magnitude of the reported reduction in tensile
ductility can vary significantly: Hastelloy C-22 displays grain boundary fracture and relatively
low tensile ductility in gaseous hydrogen at pressure of 70 MPa [7, 19], while Inconel 600
displays transgranular fracture and significantly greater tensile ductility in gaseous hydrogen at
pressure of 70 MPa [7]. While the absolute values of the tensile properties are not reported in
these studies, the properties of Inconel 625 and Hastelloy X in gaseous hydrogen at 34.5 MPa are
reported, Table 3.1.1.1. Tensile tests have also been performed on Hastelloy X at elevated
temperature in gaseous hydrogen (34.5 MPa), and for Inconel 625 at both cryogenic and elevated
temperature in gaseous hydrogen, Table 3.1.1.2. The effects of hydrogen on Inconel 625 are
significantly reduced at both temperature extremes.
Testing of hydrogen-precharged materials [1, 21-23] also shows reduction of tensile ductility.
Inconel 600 appears to display less reduction of ductility when hydrogen precharged than other
solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys, Table 3.1.1.1. In a separate study, Hastelloy X shows significantly
less reduction of tensile elongation than Inconel 600 [5]. Fracture surfaces tend to be rather
complicated with the most affected alloys showing evidence of intergranular fracture and strong
slip localization [1, 2, 23].
The range of tensile ductility that is observed for solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys in the presence
of hydrogen is generally attributed to microstructural characteristics that affect deformation.

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Nickel Alloys Solid-Solution Ni-Cr Alloys

Symons, for example, studied the effect of Cr content on laboratory heats similar to Inconel 600
(Ni-15Cr-8Fe) and Inconel 690 (Ni-30Cr-8Fe) [1], showing that chromium content is an
important materials variable (all else being equal), Table 3.1.1.3. Symons related chromium
content to the stacking fault energy: alloys with greater resistance to hydrogen-assisted fracture
have higher stacking fault energy, which correlates with lower chromium content in the alloys
studied by Symons [1]. This is analogous to the role attributed to nickel in austenitic stainless
steels [24] (although stacking fault energy increases as nickel increases), as well as nitrogen in
21Cr-6Ni-9Mn austenitic stainless steel [25]. Other microstructural influences that reduce tensile
ductility include carbide precipitation [5, 22], impurity segregation [13] and ordering [8, 9, 11],
all of which can generally be a concern for solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys.
The effects of temperature and strain rate were explored by Chene and Brass for Inconel 600
using cathodic precharging in molten salts to about 35 wppm hydrogen and testing in air
(uniform saturation of hydrogen in 5 mm thick flat tensile specimens) [26]. They found the
elongation to show a minimum at temperature near 240K for hydrogen-precharged specimens
and no effect of temperature on elongation in the absence of hydrogen in the temperature range
from 240K to 470K. At very low temperature (77K), there was essentially no change in
elongation due to hydrogen. At temperature of 513K, the elongation was also unchanged by
hydrogen although significant hydrogen desorbed from the specimen during testing. In addition,
Chene and Brass observed little effect of strain rate near room temperature for strain rates less
than about 10-3 s-1, in contrast to another study where the tensile elongation due to thermally
precharged hydrogen was found to be decrease with strain rate to lower strain rates [5].

3.1.2 Notched tensile properties

Strength and ductility (RA) of notched tensile specimens of Inconel 625 are reduced in
gaseous hydrogen compared to gaseous helium, Table 3.1.2.1. The reduction of ductility is
significantly greater than the reduction of notched tensile strength. Hastelloy X displays about a
10% reduction of notched strength and ductility in gaseous hydrogen, in contrast to the smooth
tensile tests where no effects of hydrogen are observed for the same testing conditions. At
elevated temperature (951 K), gaseous hydrogen at pressure of 34.5 MPa has no effect on tensile
properties of Inconel 625 and Hastelloy X, Table 3.1.2.2. Also at cryogenic temperature (144 K)
in gaseous hydrogen at pressure of 34.5 MPa, the RA of Inconel 625 is only modestly affected
(Table 3.1.2.2) compared to the reduction observed at room temperature (Table 3.1.2.1).
Tensile elongation was found to depend on the stress concentration factor in hydrogen-
precharged Inconel 600 and Hastelloy X [5]. The relative decrease of tensile elongation for
notched Inconel 600 (Kt = 5.5) was found to approximately double relative to smooth tensile
specimens. For Hastelloy X, tensile elongation was relatively unaffected by hydrogen for smooth
tensile specimens, compared to approximately 25% reduction in tensile elongation with a notch
(Kt = 5.5).

3.2 Fracture mechanics

The fracture toughness of Inconel 690 is significantly reduced when the material is hydrogen
precharged, Table 3.2.1 [22], while the fracture toughness of Inconel 625 in gaseous hydrogen is
essentially unchanged compared to tests in gaseous helium [20, 27, 28]. The relative fracture
toughness of the two alloys, however, is substantially different: the fracture toughness of the
Inconel 690 is almost five times greater than the fracture toughness of Inconel 625. These

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Nickel Alloys Solid-Solution Ni-Cr Alloys

differences may reflect the difference in strength of the tested alloys (the Inconel 625 was not
fully annealed), or may reflect 30 years of improvements in materials processing (the study on
Inconel 625 was performed in the early 1970s, while the study on Inconel 690 is from the late
1990s). The fracture toughness of currently available and properly annealed Inconel 625 is likely
consistent with the values reported here for Inconel 690. In any case, the hydrogen-affected
fracture toughness of Inconel 690 remains relatively large compared to values of fracture
toughness from Refs. [20, 27, 28] on Inconel 625 in an inert environment and other structural
metals, such as aluminum alloys. The fracture toughness at cryogenic temperature (144 K) is
greater than at room temperature and unaffected by gaseous hydrogen, Table 3.2.2.
Carbide precipitation at grain boundaries (i.e., sensitization due to thermal exposure) does
not impact the fracture toughness of Inconel 690 in air, but reduces the fracture toughness in the
hydrogen-precharged condition by a factor of more than 2, compared to non-sensitized material
[22].

3.3 Fatigue
Low-cycle fatigue of Inconel 625 and Hastelloy X in gaseous hydrogen at pressure of
34.5 MPa is reported in several reports for NASA [20, 27]. The data is reproduced in Figure
3.3.1, showing a significant reduction in number of cycles to failure for a given value of total
strain. This reduction is greater for Inconel 625 than for Hastelloy X, which is consistent with
results from tensile testing.

3.4 Creep
A limited set of creep rupture data are available for Inconel 625 in Refs [20, 27] at
temperature of 951 K. Rupture occurred in less than 50 hours at stress of 286 MPa in gaseous
hydrogen at pressure of 34.5 MPa. Specimens in gaseous hydrogen failed during loading at
stresses as low as 310 MPa. In comparison, rupture took greater than 20 hours for substantially
higher stresses (430 MPa) in gaseous helium. In short, gaseous hydrogen significantly enhances
creep in Inconel 625.

3.5 Impact
No known published data in gaseous hydrogen.

3.6 Disk rupture testing

Disk rupture tests show that nickel-base alloys are extremely sensitive to hydrogen-assisted
fracture in gaseous environments [29].

4. Fabrication

4.1 Primary processing

Impurity segregation, as well as alloy segregation, is important issues during the production
of nickel alloys. One study suggests that impurity segregation at grain boundaries in Inconel 600
enhances resistance to hydrogen-assisted fracture [13], while most studies implicate impurity
segregation in exacerbating hydrogen-assisted fracture. Macrosegregation may promote

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Nickel Alloys Solid-Solution Ni-Cr Alloys

hydrogen-assisted fracture in Ni-Cr alloys in the same way that macrosegregation enhances
hydrogen-assisted fracture in austenitic stainless steels [30].

4.2 Heat treatment

Proper heat treating and appropriate thermal exposure is an important consideration for some
solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys, due to ordering and sensitization (carbide precipitation at grain
boundaries). The effects of ordering and sensitization may not be apparent at ambient conditions,
but when combined with hydrogen these effects can be substantial [22].

4.3 Properties of welds

Alloys with niobium or titanium additions (such as Inconel 625) are designed to control
sensitization during welding as in type 321 and 347 austenitic stainless steels. The smooth tensile
properties (Table 4.3.1), notched tensile properties (Table 4.3.2) and fracture toughness (Table
4.3.3) of the fusion zone in welded Inconel 625 are reported in Ref. [20]. Gaseous hydrogen had
significantly less effect on the properties of the welds compared to the base metal, likely due to
the lower strength of the fusion zone of the weld compared to the base metal.

5. References
1. DM Symons. Hydrogen Embrittlement of Ni-Cr-Fe Alloys. Metall Mater Trans 28A (1997)
655-663.
2. DM Symons. The Effect of Carbide Precipitation on the Hydrogen-Enhanced Frature
Behavior of Alloy 690. Metall Mater Trans 29A (1998) 1265-1277.
3. GR Caskey. Hydrogen Compatibility Handbook for Stainless Steels (DP-1643). EI du Pont
Nemours, Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken SC (June 1983).
4. GR Caskey. Hydrogen Effects in Stainless Steels. in: RA Oriani, JP Hirth and M
Smialowski, editors. Hydrogen Degradation of Ferrous Alloys. Park Ridge NJ: Noyes
Publications (1985) p. 822-862.
5. M Hasegawa and M Osawa. Hydrogen damage of nickel-base heat resistant alloys.
Transactions ISIJ 21 (1981) 25-31.
6. G Han, J He, S Fukuyama and K Yokogawa. Effect of strain-induced martensite on
hydrogen environment embrittlement of sensitized austenitic stainless steels at low
temperatures. Acta Mater 46 (1998) 4559-4570.
7. S Fukuyama, M Imade and K Yokogawa. Development of new material testing appartus in
high-pressure hydrogen and evaluation of hydrogen gas embrittlement of metals (PVP2007-
26820). in: Proceedings of PVP-2007: ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Division
Conference, 2007, San Antonion TX. ASME (July 22-26, 2007)
8. K Miyata and M Igarashi. Effect of ordering in susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement of a
Ni-base superalloy. Metall Trans 23A (1992) 953-961.
9. RJ Coyle, JA Kargol and NF Fiore. Hydrogen-assisted ductile fracture in a Ni-base
superalloy. Scr Metall 14 (1980) 939-942.
10. N Sridhar, JA Kargol and NF Fiore. Effect of low temperature aging on hydrogen-induced
crack growth in a Ni-base superalloy. Scr Metall 14 (1980) 1257-1260.
11. RJ Coyle, JA Kargol and NF Fiore. The effect of aging on hydrogen embrittlement of a
nickel alloy. Metall Trans 12A (1981) 653-658.

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Nickel Alloys Solid-Solution Ni-Cr Alloys

12. JA Kargol and B Ladna. The roles of ordering and impurity segregation on the hydrogen
assisted crack propagation in nickel base stainless alloys. Scr Metall 16 (1982) 191-195.
13. M Cornet, C Bertrand and M Da Cunha Belo. Hydrogen embrittlement of ultrapure alloys of
the Inconel 600 type: influence of the additions of elements (C, P, Sn, Sb). Metall Trans
13A (1982) 141-144.
14. DM Symons, GA Young and JR Scully. The effect of strain on the trapping of hydrogen at
grain-boundary carbides in Ni-Cr-Fe alloys. Metall Mater Trans 32A (2001) 369-377.
15. M Uhlemann and BG Pound. Diffusivity, solubility and trapping behavior of hydrogen in
alloys 600, 690tt and 800. Corros Sci 40 (1998) 645-662.
16. DA Mezzanotte, JA Kargol and NF Fiore. Hydrogen transport in a Ni-base superalloy. Scr
Metall 14 (1980) 219-223.
17. DA Mezzanotte, JA Kargol and NF Fiore. Hydrogen transport in nickel base stainless
alloys. Metall Trans 13A (1982) 1181-1186.
18. BG Pound. Hydrogen trapping in work-hardened alloys. Acta Metall Mater 39 (1991) 2099-
2105.
19. S Fukuyama, M Imade, T Iijima and K Yokogawa. Development of new material testing
apparatus in 230 MPa hydrogen and evaluation of hydrogen gas embrittlement of metals. in:
Proceedings of PVP-2008: ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Division Conference, 2008,
Chicago IL. ASME (July 27-31, 2008)
20. JA Harris and MCV Wanderham. Properties of Materials in High Pressure Hydrogen at
Cryogenic, Room, and Elevated Temperatures. Pratt and Whitney Aircraft (report no. FR-
5768) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Marshall Space Flight
Center), West Palm Beach FL (Jul 1973).
21. AW Thompson. Hydrogen-assisted fracture in single-phase nickel alloys. Scr Metall 16
(1982) 1189-1192.
22. DM Symons. The effect of carbide precipitation on the hydrogen-enhanced fracture
behavior of alloy 690. Metall Mater Trans 29A (1998) 1265-1277.
23. C San Marchi, T Zaleski, S Lee, NYC Yang and B Stuart. Effect of laser peening on the
hydrogen compatibility of corrosion-resistant nickel alloy. Scr Mater 58 (2008) 782-785.
24. BC Odegard, JA Brooks and AJ West. The Effect of Hydrogen on Mechanical Behavior of
Nitrogen-Strengthened Stainless Steel. in: AW Thompson and IM Bernstein, editors. Effect
of Hydrogen on Behavior of Materials. Proceedings of an International Conference on
Effect of Hydrogen on Behavior of Materials (Moran WY, 1975), volume New York: The
Metallurgical Society of AIME (1976) p. 116-125.
25. RE Stoltz and JB VanderSande. The Effect of Nitrogen on Stacking Fault Energy of Fe-Ni-
Cr-Mn Steels. Metall Trans 11A (1980) 1033-1037.
26. J Chene and AM Brass. Role of temperature and strain rate on the hydrogen-induced
intergranular rupture in alloy 600. Metall Mater Trans 35A (2004) 457-464.
27. JA Harris and MCV Wanderham. Propeties of Materials in High Pressure Hydrogen at
Cryogenic, Room, and Elevated Temperatures (Annual Report). Pratt and Whitney Aircraft
(report no. FR-4566) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Marshall
Space Flight Center), West Palm Beach FL (1971).
28. RJ Walter and WT Chandler. Influence of Gaseous Hydrogen on Metals: Final Report.
Rocketdyne for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Canoga Park CA (Oct
1973).

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Nickel Alloys Solid-Solution Ni-Cr Alloys

29. J-P Fidelle. Present status of the disk pressure test for hydrogen embrittlement. in: L
Raymond, editor. Test Methods for Hydrogen Embrittlement: Prevention and Control,
ASTM STP 962, American Society for Testing and Materials. (1988) p. 153-172.
30. T Michler, Y Lee, RP Gangloff and J Naumann. Influence of macro segregation on
hydrogen environment embrittlement of SUS 316L stainless steel. Int J Hydrogen Energy 34
(2009) 3201-3209.
31. ASTM. ASTM DS-56H, Metals and Alloys in the UNIFIED NUMBERING SYSTEM
(SAE HS-1086 OCT01). 2001.
32. T Tanabe, Y Tamanishi, K Sawada and S Imoto. Hydrogen Transport in Stainless Steels. J
Nucl Mater 122&123 (1984) 1568-1572.
33. N Kishimoto, T Tanabe, T Suzuki and H Yoshida. Hydrogen diffusion and solution at high
temperatures in 316L stainless steel and nickel-base heat-resistant alloys. J Nucl Mater 127
(1985) 1-9.
34. AS Schmidt, F Verfuss and E Wicke. Studies on the permeation of hydrogen and tritium
through heat resistant alloys. J Nucl Mater 131 (1985) 247-260.
35. E Rota, F Waelbroeck, P Weinhold and J Winter. Measurements of surface and bulk
properties for the interaction of hydrogen with Inconel 600. J Nucl Mater 111 & 112 (1982)
233-239.
36. C San Marchi, BP Somerday and SL Robinson. Permeability, Solubility and Diffusivity of
Hydrogen Isotopes in Stainless Steels at High Gas Pressure. Int J Hydrogen Energy 32
(2007) 100-116.

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Nickel Alloys Solid-Solution Ni-Cr Alloys

Table 1.1.1. Compositions (wt%) of common commercial solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys [31].

UNS No Common Name Ni Cr Fe Mo Co W Al Ti Mn Si C other

Hastelloy X
20.5 17.0 8.0 0.5 0.20 1.00 1.00 0.05 0.040 max P;
N06002 Bal — —
(Ni–22Cr–18Fe–8Mo) 23.0 20.0 10.0 2.5 1.0 max max 0.15 0.030 max S
1.75-2.5 Nb;
Hastelloy G
21.0 18.0 5.5 2.5 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.05 1.5-2.5 Cu;
N06007 Bal — —
(Ni–23Cr–19Fe–6Mo) 23.5 21.0 7.5 max max 2.0 max max 0.04 max P;
0.03 max S
Hastelloy C-22 0.35 max V;
20.0 2.0 12.5 2.5 2.5 0.50 0.08 0.015
N06022 Bal — — 0.02 max P;
(Ni–22Cr–3Fe–13Mo) 22.5 6.0 14.5 max 3.5 max max max
0.02 max S
Nimonic 75
18.0 5.00 0.20 1.00 1.00 0.08
N06075 Bal — — — — 0.50 max Cu
(Ni–20Cr–4Fe) 21.0 max 0.60 max max 0.15
Inconel 600 0.50 max Cu;
Bal 14.00 6.00 1.00 0.50 0.15
N06600 — — — — — 0.040 max P;
(Ni–15Cr–8Fe) (72 min) 17.00 10.00 max max Max
0.015 max S
Inconel 617 0.50 max Cu;
Bal 20.0 3.00 8.0 10.0 0.80 0.60 1.00 1.00 0.05
N06617 — 0.006 max B;
(Ni–22Cr–9Mo–12Co) (44.5 min) 24.0 max 10.0 15.0 1.50 max max max 0.15
0.015 max S;
Inconel 625 3.15-4.15 Nb;
20.0 5.0 8.0 0.40 0.40 0.50 0.50 0.10
N06625 Bal — — 0.015 max P;
(Ni–22Cr–9Mo–4Nb) 23.0 max 10.0 max max max max max
0.015 max S
Inconel 690
Bal 27.0 7.0 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.05 0.50 max Cu;
N06690 — — — —
(Ni–29Cr–9Fe) (58 min) 31.0 11.0 max max max max 0.015 max S
Hastelloy C-276 0.35 max V;
14.5 4.0 15.0 2.5 3.0 1.0 0.08 0.02
N10276 Bal — — 0.030 max P;
(Ni–16Cr–5Fe –16Mo) 16.5 7.0 17.0 max 4.5 max max max
0.030 max S

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Nickel Alloys Solid-Solution Ni-Cr Alloys

Table 1.1.2. Compositions (wt%) of solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys used in studies with hydrogen.

Heat alloy Ni Cr Fe Mo Co W Al Ti Mn Si C other Ref.

Inconel 625 3.82 Nb;
H73a Partially annealed Bal 21.6 2.14 9.10 0.05 — 0.17 0.06 0.01 0.08 0.052 0.005 P; [20]
bar (dia. 19 mm) 0.005 S
Inconel 625 3.92 Nb;
H73b Partially annealed Bal 21.82 1.79 9.05 — — 0.18 0.20 0.02 0.10 0.04 0.004 P; [20]
bar (dia. 108 mm) 0.005 S
Hastelloy X 0.0014 B;
H73c Solutionized bar Bal 22.31 18.36 8.27 1.60 0.51 — — 0.61 0.71 0.074 0.016 P; [20]
(dia. 19 mm) 0.006 S
Inconel 625 3.73 Nb;
W73 Partially annealed Bal 21.14 2.55 8.97 0.07 — 0.20 0.11 0.05 0.20 0.047 0.008 P; [28]
bar (32x70 mm) 0.003 S

T84a Inconel 600 (72) (16) (8) — — — — — — — — — [32]

T84b Nichrome (77) (20) (2) — — — — — — — — — [32]

K85a Inconel 600 Bal 15.9 7.0 — — — 0.32 0.41 0.45 0.25 0.047 0.20 Cu [33]

K85b Hastelloy X Bal 20.7 19.7 8.9 1.6 0.48 — — 0.15 0.14 0.10 0.01 Cu [33]

S85 Nimonic PE 13 Bal 21.0 19.1 8.8 1.6 0.65 — 0.04 0.37 0.44 0.054 0.07 Cu [34]

0.004 B;
S98a Inconel 690 Bal 27.5 8.1 — 0.26 — 0.26 0.25 — 0.1 0.02 0.006 P; [22]
0.001 S
0.004 B
S98b Inconel 690 Bal 28.3 8.4 — 0.35 — — — — 0.3 0.03 0.013 P; [22]
0.001 S;

S08 Hastelloy C-22 Bal 21.8 3.8 13.0 — 3.0 — — 0.34 0.08 0.002 — [23]

5110 - 10
Nickel Alloys Solid-Solution Ni-Cr Alloys

Table 2.1. Permeability, diffusivity and solubility relationships for solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys. These relationships are plotted in
Figures 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 for permeability, diffusivity and solubility respectively.
" = "o exp(#E " /RT ) D = Do exp("E D /RT ) S = So exp("E S /RT )
Temperature Pressure Do
Material Range Range "o E" ED So ES Ref.
# mol H 2 & " kJ % " m 2%
" kJ % # mol H 2 & " kJ %
(K) (MPa) % ( $ ' $ ' % 3
$ ' 1/2 ( $ '
! $ m" s " MPa1/2 ' #!mol & # s & # mol
! & $ m " MPa ' # mol &
! !-6 ! !-6
Inconel 600 423–673 — 19.9 x 10 55.2 1.70 x 10 49.8! 11.7 ! 5.4 [35]

Inconel 600 !
873–1173 0.1–0.7 783 x!10-6 63.7
! 0.49 x!
10-6 ! 42.5 !
1600 21.2 [33]
(heat K85a)
Inconel 600 0.001
500–1200 950 x 10-6 66.2 0.136 x 10-6 37.7 6990 28.5 [32]
(heat T84a) –0.1
Hastelloy X
873–1173 0.1–0.7 881 x 10-6 64.6 0.490 x 10-6 43.4 1800 21.2 [33]
(heat K85b)
Nichrome 0.001
500–1200 220 x 10-6 60.3 0.111 x 10-6 37.2 1980 23.1 [32]
(heat T84b) –0.1
Nimonic PE13 0.001
500–1200 36.2 x 10-6 52.3 0.092 x 10-6 33.8 394 18.5 [34]
(heat S85) –0.01
Austenitic
— — 120 x 10-6 59.8 0.89 x 10-6 53.9 135 5.9 [36]
stainless steels

5110 - 11
Nickel Alloys Solid-Solution Ni-Cr Alloys

Table 2.2. Solubility of hydrogen in several solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys, determined after thermal
precharging in gaseous hydrogen at elevated temperature and pressure.
Reported Solubility †
Precharging Precharging Cr
hydrogen # mol H 2 &
Material temperature pressure content Ref.
concentration % 3 (
(K) (MPa) $ m " MPa1/2 ' (wt%)
(wppm)
Inconel 600 723 30 40 cm3/100g 25.7 15.4 [5]

Inconel 690 13 38
! 41.9
27.5
(heat S98a) 34 59.5 39.1
558 [22]
Inconel 690 13 38.5 42.5
28.3
(heat S98b) 34 60 39.5
13 25 27.6
Ni-6Cr-8Fe 6.1
34 37 24.4
13 24 26.5
Ni-15Cr-8Fe 14.7
34 36 23.7
558 [1]
13 34 37.5
Ni-26Cr-8Fe 26.5
34 55 36.2
13 60 66.2
Ni-35Cr-8Fe 34.8
34 99 65.2
Hastelloy C-22
573 138 110 30.3 21.8 [23]
(heat S08)
Hastelloy X 723 30 60 cm3/100g 38.5 21.7 [5]
3
† calculated assuming density of 8.2 g/cm for all alloys; actual density of some alloys is
greater

5110 - 12
Nickel Alloys Solid-Solution Ni-Cr Alloys

Table 3.1.1.1. Tensile properties of solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys at room temperature: measured in
air with internal hydrogen (thermal precharging in gaseous hydrogen), or measured in high-
pressure gaseous helium and hydrogen; values in parenthesis are estimated.
Strain
Thermal Test environ- Sy Su Elu Elt RA
Material rate Ref.
precharging ment (MPa) (MPa) (%) (%) (%)
(s-1)
None Air 0.67 280 710 — — 75
Inconel 600 [21]
(1) Air x10-3 (280) (710) — — 66
None Air 0.67 330 805 — — 43
Inconel 625 [21]
(1) Air x10-3 (330) (805) — — 28
Inconel 625 None 34.5 MPa He 0.17 579 1002 — 47 62 [20,
(heat H73a) None 34.5 MPa H2 x10-3 694 975 — 23 30 27]
None Air 648 993 — 50 54
Inconel 625 None 34.5 MPa He — 634 993 — 55 50 [28]
(heat W73)
None 34.5 MPa H2 600 993 — 20 18
None Air 289 668 46 56 70
Inconel 690 0.4
(2) Air 310 627 41 48 43 [22]
(heat S98a) x10-3
(3) Air 310 550 27 31 40
None Air 282 668 45 52 67
Inconel 690 0.4
(2) Air 282 550 22 25 32 [22]
(heat S98b) x10-3
(3) Air 296 482 11 17 31
Hastelloy C- None Air 383 810 58 89 72
2
22 (heat [23]
(4) Air x10-3 426 793 52 56 41
S08)
Hastelloy X None 34.5 MPa He 0.17 321 723 — 54 63 [20,
(heat H73c) None 34.5 MPa H2 x10-3 340 727 — 53 63 27]
(1) 24 MPa gaseous hydrogen, 475K, 410 hours
(2) 13 MPa gaseous hydrogen, 558K, 1000 hours; 38 wppm hydrogen
(3) 34 MPa gaseous hydrogen, 558K, 1000 hours; 60 wppm hydrogen
(4) 138 MPa gaseous hydrogen, 573K, 820 hours; 110 wppm hydrogen

5110 - 13
Nickel Alloys Solid-Solution Ni-Cr Alloys

Table 3.1.1.2. Tensile properties of solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys at both cryogenic and elevated
temperature in gaseous hydrogen and helium at pressure of 34.5 MPa.
Strain
Thermal Test Sy Su Elu Elt RA
Material rate Ref.
precharging environment (MPa) (MPa) (%) (%) (%)
(s-1)
Inconel 625 None He – 144 K 710 1130 — 43 52 [20,
—
(heat W73) None H2 – 144 K 696 1120 — 43 48 27]
Inconel 625 None He – 951 K 0.17 507 819 — 61 68
[28]
(heat H73a) None H2 – 951 K x10-3 517 850 — 55 60
Hastelloy X None He – 951 K 0.17 235 550 — 53 58
[28]
(heat H73c) None H2 – 951 K x10-3 234 555 — 51 54

Table 3.1.1.3. Tensile properties of Ni–Cr–Fe alloys thermally precharged in gaseous hydrogen
and tested in air at room.
Strain
Thermal Test Sy Su Elu Elt RA
Material rate Ref.
precharging environment (MPa) (MPa) (%) (%) (%)
(s-1)
None Air 207 462 — 35 45
0.4
Ni–6Cr–8Fe (1) Air 200 420 — 31 47 [1]
x10-3
(2) Air 220 468 — 31 42
None Air 282 586 — 49 52
0.4
Ni–15Cr–8Fe (1) Air 230 510 — 43 48 [1]
x10-3
(2) Air 255 565 — 42 45
None Air 289 593 — 53 57
0.4
Ni–26Cr–8Fe (1) Air 255 410 — 22 31 [1]
x10-3
(2) Air 282 427 — 13.5 20
None Air 261 606 — 55 65
0.4
Ni–35Cr–8Fe (1) Air 275 454 — 25 36 [1]
x10-3
(2) Air 300 475 — 18 27
(1) 13 MPa gaseous hydrogen, 558K, 1000 hours
(2) 34 MPa gaseous hydrogen, 558K, 1000 hours

5110 - 14
Nickel Alloys Solid-Solution Ni-Cr Alloys

Table 3.1.2.1. Notched tensile properties of solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys at room temperature in
high-pressure gaseous helium and hydrogen.
Displ.
Thermal Test Sy † σs RA
Material Specimen rate Ref.
precharging environment (MPa) (MPa) (%)
(mm/s)
Inconel 625 None 34.5 MPa He 2.1 579 1252 15 [20,
(a) -3
(heat H73a) None 34.5 MPa H2 x 10 694 1227 6.9 27]
Inconel 625 None 34.5 MPa He 0.4 634 1430 9.4
(b) [28]
(heat W73) None 34.5 MPa H2 x 10-3 600 1090 4.6
Hastelloy X None 34.5 MPa He 2.1 321 1005 18 [20,
(a)
(heat H73c) None 34.5 MPa H2 x 10-3340 874 14 27]
† yield strength of smooth tensile bar
(a) V-notched specimen: 60˚ included angle; minimum diameter = 8 mm (0.315 inch);
maximum diameter = 12.7 mm (0.5 inch); notch root radius = 0.051 mm (0.002 inch).
Stress concentration factor (Kt) = 8.0.
(b) V-notched specimen: 60˚ included angle; minimum diameter = 3.81 mm (0.15 inch);
maximum diameter = 7.77 mm (0.306 inch); notch root radius = 0.024 mm (0.00095
inch). Stress concentration factor (Kt) = 8.4.

Table 3.1.2.2. Notched tensile properties of solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys at both cryogenic and
elevated temperature in gaseous hydrogen and helium at pressure of 34.5 MPa.
Displ.
Thermal Test Sy † σs RA
Material Specimen rate Ref.
precharging environment (MPa) (MPa) (%)
(mm/s)
Inconel 625 None He – 144 K 0.4 710 1460 8.1
(b) -3 [28]
(heat W73) None H2 – 144 K x 10 696 1520 6.9
Inconel 625 None He – 951 K 2.1 507 985 16 [20,
(a)
(heat H73a) None H2 – 951 K x 10-3 517 1014 16 27]
Hastelloy X None He – 951 K 2.1 235 625 18 [20,
(a)
(heat H73c) None H2 – 951 K x 10-3234 621 19 27]
† yield strength of smooth tensile bar
(a) V-notched specimen: 60˚ included angle; minimum diameter = 8 mm (0.315 inch);
maximum diameter = 12.7 mm (0.5 inch); notch root radius = 0.051 mm (0.002 inch).
Stress concentration factor (Kt) = 8.0.
(b) V-notched specimen: 60˚ included angle; minimum diameter = 3.81 mm (0.15 inch);
maximum diameter = 7.77 mm (0.306 inch); notch root radius = 0.024 mm (0.00095
inch). Stress concentration factor (Kt) = 8.4.

5110 - 15
Nickel Alloys Solid-Solution Ni-Cr Alloys

Table 3.2.1. Fracture toughness of solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys at room temperature: measured in
air with internal hydrogen (thermal precharging in gaseous hydrogen), or measured in high-
pressure gaseous helium and hydrogen.
Thermal Test Sy KQ
Material Test method Ref.
precharging environment (MPa) (MPa m1/2)
59 † (RL §)
None 34.5 MPa He —
Inconel 625 LEFM, CT 63 † (LR §)
[20]
(heat H73b) (ASTM E399-72) 66 † (RL §)
None 34.5 MPa H2 —
60 † (LR §)
Inconel 625 LEFM, CT None 34.5 MPa He 634 84
[28]
(heat W73) (ASTM E399-72) None 34.5 MPa H2 600 67
Inconel 690 J-integral, CT None Air 330 ‡
289 [22]
(heat S98a) (ASTM E813) (1) Air 218 ‡†
Inconel 690 J-integral None Air 330 ‡
282 [22]
(heat S98b) (ASTM E813) (1) Air 218 ‡†
LEFM = linear elastic fracture mechanics; CT = compact tensile
† valid KIC or JIC value according to testing standard
1/ 2
‡ [
calculated from J; assuming E = 207 GPa, ν = 0.3 and K = JE (1" # 2 ) ] ; initial loading
1/2
rate of 1 MPa m per minute
§ RL and LR refer to orientations as defined in ASTM standards for fracture testing, but are
inferred from author description of longitudinal and transverse respectively
(1) 13 MPa gaseous hydrogen, 558K, 1000 hours; ! 38 wppm hydrogen

Table 3.2.2. Fracture toughness of Inconel 625 at temperature of 144 K in gaseous hydrogen and
helium at pressure of 34.5 MPa.
Thermal Test Sy KQ
Material Test method Ref.
precharging environment (MPa) (MPa m1/2)
Inconel 625 LEFM, CT None He – 144 K 710 110
[28]
(heat W73) (ASTM E399-72) None H2 – 144 K 696 108
LEFM = linear elastic fracture mechanics; CT = compact tensile

5110 - 16
Nickel Alloys Solid-Solution Ni-Cr Alloys

Table 4.3.1. Tensile properties of welded Inconel 625 at room temperature in high-pressure
hydrogen and helium gas.
Strain
Thermal Test environ- Sy Su Elu Elt RA
Material rate Ref.
precharging ment (MPa) (MPa) (%) (%) (%)
(s-1)
Welded ‡ None 34.5 MPa He 0.17 370 736 — 24 38 [20,
Inconel 625 -3
(heat H73a) None 34.5 MPa H2 x10 363 766 — 25 38 27]
‡ gas tungsten arc weld (GTAW), using AMS 5837 filler material

Table 4.3.2. Notched tensile properties of welded Inconel 625 at room temperature in high-
pressure hydrogen and helium gas.
Displ.
Thermal Test Sy † σs RA
Material Specimen rate Ref.
precharging environment (MPa) (MPa) (%)
(mm/s)
Welded ‡ None 34.5 MPa He 370 980 14
2.1 [20,
Inconel 625 (a) -3
None 34.5 MPa H2 x 10 363 892 12 27]
(heat H73a)
‡ gas tungsten arc weld (GTAW), using AMS 5837 filler material
† yield strength of smooth tensile bar
(a) V-notched specimen: 60˚ included angle; minimum diameter = 8 mm (0.315 inch);
maximum diameter = 12.7 mm (0.5 inch); notch root radius = 0.051 mm (0.002 inch).
Stress concentration factor (Kt) = 8.0.

Table 4.3.3. Fracture toughness of welded Inconel 625 at room temperature.

Thermal Test Sy KQ
Material Test method Ref.
precharging environment (MPa) (MPa m1/2)
57 † (RL §)
Welded ‡ None 34.5 MPa He —
LEFM, CT 55 † (LR §)
Inconel 625 [20]
(ASTM E399-72) 61 † (RL §)
(heat H73b) None 34.5 MPa H2 —
59 † (LR §)
LEFM = linear elastic fracture mechanics; CT = compact tensile
‡ gas tungsten arc weld (GTAW), using AMS 5837 filler material
† valid KIC or JIC value according to testing standard
§ RL and LR refer to orientations as defined in ASTM standards for fracture testing, but are
inferred from author description of longitudinal and transverse respectively

5110 - 17
Nickel Alloys Solid-Solution Ni-Cr Alloys

Figure 2.1. Permeability for several solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys from gas permeation
experiments. All data corrected to hydrogen. The dark line represents the recommendation
for austenitic stainless steels from Ref. [36].

Figure 2.2. Diffusivity of several solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys from gas permeation
experiments. All data corrected to hydrogen. The dark line represents the recommendation
for austenitic stainless steels from Ref. [36].

5110 - 18
Nickel Alloys Solid-Solution Ni-Cr Alloys

Figure 2.3. Solubility of several solid-solution Ni-Cr alloys from gas permeation
experiments. All data corrected to hydrogen. The dark line represents the recommendation
for austenitic stainless steels from Ref. [36]. The data points are values determined from
equilibrium concentration measurements (i.e., thermal precharging) reported in Table 2.2.

Figure 2.4. Calculated solubility from equilibrium concentration measurements plotted as a

function of chromium content. Reported hydrogen concentrations are given in Table 2.2. The
solubility is calculated and then corrected to temperature of 573 K assuming the temperature
dependence of austenitic stainless steel (ES = 5.9 kJ/mol) and density of 8.2 g/cm3.

5110 - 19
Nickel Alloys Solid-Solution Ni-Cr Alloys

Figure 3.3.1. Low-cycle fatigue in gaseous helium and hydrogen at pressure of 34.5 MPa [20,
27].

5110 - 20