| There is strong evidence to indicate that hydrogen embrittlement plays a significant, if not controlling, role in the environmentally assisted cracking of 7XXX series aluminum alloys. In order to better understand hydrogen environment assisted cracking (HEAC), crack growth rate tests in the K-independent stage II crack growth regime were conducted on fracture mechanics specimens of an Al-6.09Zn-2.14Mg-2.19Cu alloy (AA 7050) and a low copper variant (Al-6.87Zn-2.65Mg-0.06Cu). Crack growth rate tests were performed in 90% relative humidity (RH) air between 25 and 90°C to assure hydrogen embrittlement control. The underaged, peak aged, and overaged tempers were investigated. Hydrogen uptake in humid air, hydrogen diffusion, and hydrogen trapping were investigated for each temper. Lastly, near crack tip hydrogen concentration depth profiles were analyzed via nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) using a liquid gallium, focused ion beam sputtering source (FIB/SIMS).; The results of this study help explain and quantify empirically known trends concerning HEAC resistance and also establish new findings. In the copper bearing alloy, overaged tempers are more resistant but not immune to HEAC. Humid air is an aggressive environment for Al-Zn-Mg alloys because water vapor reacts with bare aluminum to produce high surface concentrations of hydrogen. This occurs in all tempers. Hydrogen diffuses from the near surface region to the high triaxial stress region ahead of the crack tip and collects at the high angle grain boundaries. The combination of tensile stress and high hydrogen concentration at the grain boundaries then causes intergranular fracture. Crack extension bares fresh metal and the process of hydrogen production, uptake, diffusion to the stressed grain boundary, and crack extension repeats. One reason increased degree of aging improves HEAC resistance in copper bearing 7XXX series alloys is that volume lattice and effective hydrogen diffusion are slower. Overaging has little benefit on the stage II crack growth rate of low copper alloys because no such decrease in the diffusivity of hydrogen occurs. |
