Direct observation of individual hydrogen atoms at trapping sites in a ferritic steel

Abstract

Heavy hydrogen gets frozen in place Hydrogen embrittlement contributes to the failure of steel in a wide variety of everyday applications. Various strategies to mitigate hydrogen embrittlement, such as adding carbides into the steel, are hard to validate because we are unable to map the hydrogen atoms. Chen et al. combined fluxing steel samples with deuterium and a cryogenic transfer protocol to minimize hydrogen diffusion, allowing for detailed structural analysis (see the Perspective by Cairney). Their findings revealed hydrogen trapped in the cores of the carbide precipitates. The technique will be applicable to a wide range of problems, including corrosion, catalysis, and hydrogen storage. Science , this issue p. 1196 ; see also p. 1128