C-SiC films with different content of SiC on stainless steel substrate were prepared with ion beam mixing. It was found that hydrogen concentrations in C-SiC coatings was higher than that in stainless steel after H$^$+/ ion implantation followed by thermal annealing. Infrared (IR) transmission measurement was used to study the mechanism of hydrogen retention by C-SiC films. The vibrational features in the range between 400 and 3200 cm$^$-1/ in IR transmission spectra show the Si-CH$_3$, Si-CH$_2$, Si-H, CH$_2$and CH$_3$bonds, which are responsible for retaining hydrogen.