Segregation passivation makes cost-effective stainless steel resistant to corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement.

ABSTRACT: Stainless steels are essential materials in sustainable energy conversion systems, particularly in hydrogen-related applications. However, their susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement and corrosion limits their long-term use, creating a need for advanced alloys capable of resisting environmentally assisted damage and mechanical failure. Here, we design a cost-effective austenitic stainless steel. The key innovation involves the atomic-scale passivation of grain boundaries through nitrogen decoration. This enhances resistance to failure, achieving about 3.8-fold increase in corrosion resistance and a 1.35-fold increase in hydrogen embrittlement resistance compared to commercial 316L. The steel exhibits very low hydrogen diffusivity (~7.8 × 10^-17 square meters per second), mitig

SUBMITTER: Cheng H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12851023 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature