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Hydrogen embrittlement relief without baking

 

I'm a new design engineer in the product department of my company. We are currently using pre-harden steel with yellow zinc plating after sand-blasting to a depth of about a few microns. I know the common practice is to bake to prevent hydrogen embrittlement. But, there was a suggestion that I can include a waiting period (instead of baking) for embrittlement relief. If that is so, how long do I have to wait? Will it be as effective as baking? Please suggest for solutions.

Thanks,

Jonathan y.h. Seet
- Singapore

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I have never heard of waiting instead of baking.

However I have heard of waiting too long before baking stopping the baking process working correctly.

If the baking process does not work correctly the parts will fail at a lower stress than expected.

Thus the parts are then scrap.

My advice is bake don't wait.

Martin Trigg-Hogarth
surface treatment shop - Stroud, Glos, England