Excellent resistance to hydrogen embrittlement of high-strength copper-based alloy

In order to develop more energy-efficient and safer, hydrogen pre-cooling systems destined for use in hydrogen refueling stations, a metallic material must first be researched and found to possess three excellent material properties: high strength, high thermal conductivity and low susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement (HE). This study investigated the hydrogen compatibility of a beryllium-copper alloy 25 (UNS-C17200), fabricated by a solution annealing at 1053 K and via subsequent aging treatment at 588 K. After these thermal processes, the tensile strength exceeded 1200 MPa, due to the precipitation of nano-sized CuBe compounds (γ phase). Slow strain rate tensile (SSRT) and tension-compression fatigue tests were performed using this material, in addition to fatigue crack growth and fracture toughness tests, in laboratory air and in gaseous hydrogen with a pressure of 115 MPa at room temperature. After the SSRT test, the material showed no hydrogeninduced degradation of strength or ductility and, surprisingly, there was also no degradation of fatigue resistance or fracture toughness values in high-pressure gaseous hydrogen. Specifically, it was revealed that the material demonstrated an excellent HE resistance, despite having such a high tensile strength.