H2FORM3G was presented during a workshop on fracture toughness in advanced high-strength steels held at the Spanish National Center for Metallurgical Research – CENIM facilities in Madrid, on 24th January 2025.
Eurecat’s Head of Mechanical Behaviour, David Frómeta, introduced H2FORM3G together with other research projects coordinated by Eurecat using fracture toughness as a material parameter for validating the performance of novel advanced high-performance and sustainable steels being developed.
In the H2FORM3G project, a novel rapid testing procedure will be implemented to assess the effect of hydrogen on the fracture toughness of Q&P 3rd Generation (Gen) Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS). The measurements will serve to investigate the role of hydrogen and its interaction with Retained Austenite (RA) on crack propagation resistance of the studied steels.
Other projects presented also incorporating the rapid fracture toughness tests in their activities include:
- CISMA: Introducing scrap-based Electric Arc Furnace steel for a greener circular economy in mass-market sheet metal goods. (Horizon Europe 101177798 — CiSMA).
- COOPHS: Enhancing low CO2 steel production for the automotive sector through the development of more sustainable processing methodologies (RFCS Project 101112485 — COOPHS).
- Sup3rForm: Optimizing 3rd generation Quenching and Partitioning (Q&P) and medium-manganese steels to attain improved in-use properties and foster their widespread deployment in the automotive industry (RFCS Project 101112540 — Sup3rForm).
Eurecat, the entity coordinating H2FORM3G, is specialised in the characterisation of metallic materials for optimising industrial processes and designing components and applies standout methodologies which deliver significant advantages to industry.
In H2FORM3G, Eurecat is in charge of the project management, communication, coordination, dissemination, and exploitation activities through the Metal & Ceramic Materials Unit. With a solid experience participating and coordinating international research projects in the field of steel development, Eurecat is the lead partner in the tasks focused on local formability testing, V-bending, in-situ tensile testing under synchrotron light, nanoindentation, technological specimen forming, and fractographic analysis.
