The interaction of hydrogen with dislocations is well established. but its interaction with other structural features in a material has not been investigated or discussed to any appreciable degree. It is the intent of this discussion to examine the preference of precipitates for hydrogen atoms in a plain carbon steel. which is quenched to a martensitic structure and tempered. This structure represents one of the most susceptible to hydrogen emb~ttlement in the as-quenched condition and the most resistant in the highly tempered condition. One of the prominent features of this microstructure is the carbide precipitate and its transformational and morphological changes that result on tempering. The ability for trapping hydrogen, from an elastic energy standpoint, is seen to decrease with increasing loss in coherency of the precipitate. An energy for interaction between coherent precipitates and hydcogen atoms is calculated.
R&sum&--On con&t bien interaction de l'hydrogene avec les dislocations, mais on a t&s peu itudit son interaction avec d'autres particularitis structurales des matiriaux. Dans cet article, on examine la tendance des atomes d'hydrogene aller dans ies precipites, dans un acier au carbone trempe a I'etat martensitique et revenu. Cette structure est l'une des plus sensibles a la fragilisation par I'hydrogene dans l'etat brut de trempe, et la plus rbsistante lorsqu'elle est fortement revenue. L'un da traits marquants de cette microstructure est le precipitt de carbure, ses transformations et changements de morphologie lors due revenu. On montre que l'aptitude a pitger I'hydrogtne, etudiee du point de vue de l'energie &stique, diminue lorsque la coherence des precipites diminue. On calcuie une Cnergie d'interaction entre pricipites coherents et atomes d'hydrogkne.