The role of atomic hydrogen and hydrogen-induced martensites in hydrogen embrittlement in slow strain rate tensile tests and hydrogen-induced delayed cracking (HIC) in sustained load tests for type 304 L stainless steel was quantitatively studied.The results indicated that hydrogen-induced martensites formed when hydrogen concentration C0 exceeded 30 ppm,and increased with an increase in C0,i.e.M(vol%)=62-82.5exp(-C0/102).The relative plasticity loss caused by the martensites increased linearly with increasing amount of the martensites,i.e.Iδ(M),%=0.45M(vol %)=27.9-37.1 exp(-C0/102).The plasticity loss caused by atomic hydrogen Iδ(H) increased with an increase in C0 and reached a saturation value Iδ(H)max=40% when C0>100 ppm.Iδ(H) decreased with an increase in strain rate ,i.e.Iδ(H),%=-21.9-9.9,and was zero when ≥c=0.032/s.HIC under sustained load was due to atomic hydrogen,and the threshold stress intensity for HIC decreased linearly with lnC0,i.e.KIH(Mpam1/2)=91.7-10.1 lnC0(ppm).The fracture surface of HIC was dimple if KI was high or/and C0 was low,otherwise it was quasi-cleavage.The boundary line between ductile and brittle fracture surface was KI-54+25exp(-C0/153)=0.``