Testing and mesoscale modelling of hydrogen assisted cracking of magnesium

To rationalise the results of stress corrosion cracking tests on smooth tensile specimens of a magnesium alloy, performed as constant extension rate tensile tests, a mesoscale fibre bundle model is employed in which the material being tested is represented by a bundle of parallel fibres The effect of hydrogen embrittlement oil the stress-Strain curves measured at various strain rates is simulated by assuming that the hydrogen is generated in localised corrosion pits and subsequently diffuses into the bulk. thereby reducing the strain-to-failure of individual fibres. The stress-strain curves obtained from these simulations show the same strain rate effect as was experimentally observed.