HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT IN PLATED PARTS
HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT IN PLATED PARTS
(OP)
I am looking for the appropriate spec or web site to explain hydrogen embrittlement of plated parts. We are currently plating heat treated parts, to SAE J429 gr 8. this requires the parts to be Q&T to somewhere over the 30Rc range. Our vendor has told us the parts should be baked after zinc plating to avoid hydrogen embrittlement. Is there a specific spec which qualifies this????





RE: HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT IN PLATED PARTS
Hydrogen embrittlement is caused by the Hydroclauric acid that the parts are initially dipped in before plating. They are dipped to clean the parts from corrosion and foreign matter. However since it is acid it also "eats" and leaves behind some Hydrogen from the acid. These parts are then plated after being dipped. After plating the baking process removes some of the hydrogen left over on the parts from acid cleaning process.
You may also want to add some chemicals to the acid (PavPrep) to keep it from touching the metal. I restore lots of old stuff and acid dip parts in HCL and PavPrep and I can leave the parts sitting in the acid for days, and it only cleans the rust. It will also limit you hydrogen embrittlement.
Will
RE: HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT IN PLATED PARTS
RE: HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT IN PLATED PARTS
RE: HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT IN PLATED PARTS
RE: HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT IN PLATED PARTS
RE: HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT IN PLATED PARTS
RE: HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT IN PLATED PARTS
Aluminum and its alloys are not susceptible to the same type of hydrogen embrittlement that attacks steel. Its probably explained best by considering the atomic structure of each metal. Aluminum has a face centred cubic atomic structure which does not allow atomic hydrogen to diffuse as readily as in steel which, at room temperature is body centred cubic.
RE: HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT IN PLATED PARTS