Application of Paris' law for estimation of hydrogen-assisted fatigue crack growth

Based on the general form of Paris' law a new method is proposed for estimating the rate of cracking of metals under Hydrogen-Assisted Fatigue. It is based on relating the fatigue crack growth rate of hydrogen embrittled metal to the fatigue crack growth rate of the metal without hydrogen embrittlement. One-dimensional hydrogen diffusion is assumed. Simulations using the proposed method on steel types X52, X70-80 and X80 are in agreement with published experimental tests results. The new method obviates numerical modelling of crack propagation and much reduces the computational costs.