Which outcome occurs when hydrogen gas permeates through a high-strength steel vessel under stress?

💡 Explanation

When hydrogen permeates high-strength steel under stress, hydrogen embrittlement occurs because atomic hydrogen diffuses into the steel lattice, accumulating at grain boundaries and regions of high stress, facilitating crack nucleation/propagation. Therefore, crack propagation results from embrittlement, rather than corrosion, annealing, or creep which relate to different degradation mechanisms.

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