Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bao, Yu, Song, Keke, Liu, Jiahui, Wang, Yanzhou, Ning, Yifei, Ying, Penghua, Qian, Ping
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.20350
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866914389187100672
author Bao, Yu
Song, Keke
Liu, Jiahui
Wang, Yanzhou
Ning, Yifei
Ying, Penghua
Qian, Ping
author_facet Bao, Yu
Song, Keke
Liu, Jiahui
Wang, Yanzhou
Ning, Yifei
Ying, Penghua
Qian, Ping
contents Hydrogen bubble formation within nanoscale voids is a critical mechanism underlying the embrittlement of metallic materials, yet its atomistic origins remains elusive. Here, we present an accurate and transferable machine-learned potential (MLP) for the tungsten-hydrogen binary system within the neuroevolution potential (NEP) framework, trained through active learning on extensive density functional theory data. The developed NEP-WH model reproduces a wide range of lattice and defect properties in tungsten systems, as well as hydrogen solubility, with near first-principles accuracy, while retaining the efficiency of empirical potentials. Crucially, it is the first MLP capable of capturing hydrogen trapping and H\textsubscript{2} formation in nanovoids, with quantitative fidelity. Large-scale machine-learning molecular dynamics simulations reveal a distinct aggregation pathway where planar hydrogen clusters nucleate and grow along \{100\} planes near voids, with hexagonal close-packed structures emerging at their intersections. Under uniaxial tension, these aggregates promote bubble fracture and the development of regular \{100\} cracks, suppressing dislocation activity and resulting in brittle fracture behavior. This work provides detailed atomistic insights into hydrogen bubble evolution and fracture in nanovoids, enables predictive modeling of structural degradation in extreme environments, and advances fundamental understanding of hydrogen-induced damage in structural metals.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_20350
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Atomistic understanding of hydrogen bubble-induced embrittlement in tungsten enabled by machine learning molecular dynamics
Bao, Yu
Song, Keke
Liu, Jiahui
Wang, Yanzhou
Ning, Yifei
Ying, Penghua
Qian, Ping
Materials Science
Hydrogen bubble formation within nanoscale voids is a critical mechanism underlying the embrittlement of metallic materials, yet its atomistic origins remains elusive. Here, we present an accurate and transferable machine-learned potential (MLP) for the tungsten-hydrogen binary system within the neuroevolution potential (NEP) framework, trained through active learning on extensive density functional theory data. The developed NEP-WH model reproduces a wide range of lattice and defect properties in tungsten systems, as well as hydrogen solubility, with near first-principles accuracy, while retaining the efficiency of empirical potentials. Crucially, it is the first MLP capable of capturing hydrogen trapping and H\textsubscript{2} formation in nanovoids, with quantitative fidelity. Large-scale machine-learning molecular dynamics simulations reveal a distinct aggregation pathway where planar hydrogen clusters nucleate and grow along \{100\} planes near voids, with hexagonal close-packed structures emerging at their intersections. Under uniaxial tension, these aggregates promote bubble fracture and the development of regular \{100\} cracks, suppressing dislocation activity and resulting in brittle fracture behavior. This work provides detailed atomistic insights into hydrogen bubble evolution and fracture in nanovoids, enables predictive modeling of structural degradation in extreme environments, and advances fundamental understanding of hydrogen-induced damage in structural metals.
title Atomistic understanding of hydrogen bubble-induced embrittlement in tungsten enabled by machine learning molecular dynamics
topic Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.20350