Hydrogen embrittlement occurs where hydrogen migrates out of its normal structure in steel, causing a failure of reliability to the metal’s normal properties.
The failure may be immediate in use or may occur in a delayed manner. The primary problem in the industry is a specific form of hydrogen embrittlement, called Hydrogen Stress Cracking (HSC), a result of hydrogen absorption.
Ferrous alloys, especially those with relatively large quantities of carbon are prone to hydrogen embrittlement.