Abstract:The paper presents the results of the influence of electrolytic hydrogenation on the change of electrochemical properties of selected stainless steels and their susceptibility to the formation of galvanic hydrogen. It has been shown that the electrolytic hydrogenation of steel X5CrNi18-10 and X6Cr17 in the state of delivery, not only changes their corrosion resistance, but also contributes to the formation of galvanic hydrogen cells. Keywords: hydrogenation, corrosion potential, galvanic hydrogen cell, stainless steelThe penetration of hydrogen into metals or alloys depends on different factors including the state of material, the state of stress and strain or the environmental conditions ( Fig. 1) [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. Its presence in the structure of metal or alloy causes adverse changes in their properties, and has very negative influence on machine performance. The degradation of mechanical properties of metals and alloys under the influence of hydrogen sorption revealed both, the change and reduction in strength and plastic properties (elongation and contraction). Hydrogen contained in metals or alloys decreases their resistance to corrosion and leads to the strong surface defect. Local differences in the concentration of hydrogen in metals or their alloys, also contribute to the formation of strong galvanic hydrogen cells (GOW) [8].Taking into consideration the fact that different types of steel (carbon, stainless steel) used for building various kinds of machines, containers, heat exchangers or pipelines are exposed to hydrogen penetration, it is necessary to examine how this penetration affects the changes in mechanical and chemical properties. Until now, most of the research has been carried out on carbon steel [9]. The research, regarding the change of resistance due to hydrogen destruction of different types of steel, will allow to build a mathematical model

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