The Effects of Hydrogen on Alloy Steel Production

As a result of work done in the last twenty years or so, it is now accepted that hydrogen can cause unsoundness in ingots in killed steel , with accompanying defects in the products of such ingots . It is reasonably established
that hydrogen, if present in solid steel, Call lead to reduction in the ductility. It is also fairly certain that hydrogen plays a very important part in the formation of hairline cracks. Reduction in ductility and hairline
cracks are both extremely unwelcome to the producer of large forgings and he has to go to considerable lengths to avoid these ill-effects of hydrogen. To him, therefore,
and to any producer of high quality steel, a clearer under-standing of the effects of hydrogen in steel, together with an indication of the means which may be useful in preventing excessive amounts of hydrogen from entering the steel , is of great value.