Hydrogen precharged specimens were tested in a disc-on-disc tribometer to study the early stages of crack formation that, with cycling, eventually generate WEC or WSF. Specimens whose contact surface was intact were analysed and at subsurface numerous small transgranular cracks were found, as well as sequences of unlinked voids. Premature WEC with fine cracks and little microstructural alteration volume were also found. This paper aims to clarify certain concepts of debate concerning WEC such as the formation of WEAs, the initiation and propagation of cracks and the influence of defects in steel, the mechanisms by which hydrogen favours the development of cracks and WEAs and the transgranular character of cracks. Finally, a crack formation mechanism is proposed which may lead to a novel hypothesis on the mechanism of WEA formation.

氢气预充试样在盘对盘摩擦计中进行测试，以研究裂纹形成的早期阶段，随着循环，最终产生 WEC 或 WSF。对接触面完好的试样进行了分析，在地下发现了许多小的穿晶裂纹，以及一系列未连接的空隙。还发现了带有细裂纹和微结构改变量很小的过早 WEC。本文旨在澄清有关 WEC 争论的某些概念，例如 WEA 的形成、裂纹的产生和扩展以及钢中缺陷的影响、氢促进裂纹和 WEA 发展的机制以及裂纹的穿晶特性。 . 最后，提出了一种裂纹形成机制，这可能会导致对 WEA 形成机制的新假设。