DHEM

What Is DHEM?

DHEM is a thermal-based analytical technique that measures the rate and quantity of hydrogen released from a material as temperature changes over time. By monitoring hydrogen effusion behavior, DHEM provides insight into:

total hydrogen content
hydrogen trapping sites
binding energy of hydrogen in materials
diffusion and release mechanisms

DHEM is particularly valuable for detecting low-level hydrogen that may not be visible through conventional mechanical testing but can still cause catastrophic failures.

Why Use DHEM?

Hydrogen can significantly degrade material performance even at very low concentrations. DHEM is used when you need to understand:

whether hydrogen is present in a material
how strongly hydrogen is trapped
how processing or environment influences hydrogen uptake
whether hydrogen contributes to cracking or embrittlement

Typical questions DHEM can answer:

Is hydrogen responsible for brittle fracture or delayed cracking?
Does a process introduce or remove hydrogen?
How stable is hydrogen in the material under service temperatures?
Are different suppliers or treatments introducing different hydrogen levels?

What DHEM Measures

DHEM provides quantitative and qualitative information on:

hydrogen release rate vs. temperature
total hydrogen content
hydrogen trap strength and distribution
diffusion behavior
effect of heat treatment, plating, or surface processing

These results are critical for understanding hydrogen-related degradation mechanisms.

Typical Application Scenarios

Hydrogen Embrittlement Investigation

Root-cause analysis of brittle or delayed fractures
Correlation of hydrogen content with cracking behavior
Evaluation of post-failure hydrogen involvement

Corrosion & Environmental Exposure Studies

Hydrogen uptake during corrosion processes
Effect of humid, acidic, or electrochemical environments
Comparison before and after environmental exposure

Plating, Coating & Surface Treatments

Evaluation of hydrogen introduced during electroplating or pickling
Effectiveness of post-plating bake treatments
Comparison of different surface treatment processes

Materials Selection & Qualification

Compare alloys for hydrogen resistance
Supplier and batch qualification
Validation of processing routes for critical components

Failure Analysis & Risk Assessment

Support fracture analysis with hydrogen data
Identify hidden hydrogen-related risks
Support corrective action and process improvement

Sample Types

DHEM is commonly applied to:

steels and high-strength alloys
fasteners and structural components
welded and heat-treated parts
plated or surface-treated metals
corrosion-exposed materials

Xinbodi evaluates sample geometry, mass, and processing history to determine optimal test conditions.

What You Will Receive

Each DHEM project is delivered with a structured report designed to support engineering and quality decisions. A typical deliverable includes:

test objective and sample background
test conditions and thermal profile
hydrogen effusion curves and peak analysis
total hydrogen content estimation
comparison between samples or conditions
interpretation of hydrogen trapping and release behavior
conclusions related to embrittlement risk or process effectiveness
recommendations for mitigation or follow-up testing

Why Choose Xinbodi for DHEM?

Experience with hydrogen-related failure mechanisms
Application-driven test design focused on real risks
Ability to integrate DHEM with corrosion testing and failure analysis
Clear interpretation linked to material performance
Support for R&D, quality control, and failure prevention
Confidential handling of proprietary materials and customer data