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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
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for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Hydrogen Embrittlement During Stripping Process
Q. My company has low carbon (1022) heat treated fasteners that have been electroplated with yellow zinc dichromate. Our customer wishes to a different coating in place of the electroplated yellow zinc dichromate. If the fasteners are stripped using a low temperature hydrochloric acid bath to remove the electroplate, what potential is there to induce hydrogen embrittlement if the fasteners are not baked after the stripping process? If hydrogen embrittlement can be induced in the stripping process, what processes are available that would eliminate this hydrogen embrittlement potential?
Greg LeCompteProduct Designer - Bryan, Ohio, USA
2007
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A. As soon as you say fasteners, you are in another world from conventional plating. - Navarre, Florida 2007 A. Yes, stripping can induce hydrogen embrittlement. However if done quickly and removed from the acid as soon as stripped, there may be no problem. Hydrogen embrittlement can be relieved by baking @ 375F for four hours, but is usually necessary only if the parts are RC 39 or harder, which 1022 probably isn't.  Jeffrey Holmes, CEF Spartanburg, South Carolina 2007 |
A. Exposure to HCl acid will create potential for hydrogen embrittlement. Baking is the required method for embrittlement relief. Standards such as ASTM B850-98 or SAE USCAR 5 should be referenced regarding embrittlement relief procedures.
Toby PadfieldAutomotive module supplier - Michigan
2007
A. Have you considered an ammonium nitrate stripping process instead of acid? Seems that should not induce hydrogen embrittlement therefore you need not worry about bake?
Douglas A. Hahn- Saint Charles, Missouri
2007
A. Good afternoon:
Just wanted to let you know that there are many heat treated fasteners made from 1022 that require baking. The two types of fasteners that come to mind are self drilling screws per SAE J 78 and tapping screws per SAE J 933. These screws, in addition to having a core hardness typically mid 30s HRC are also given a shallow case.
- St Louis, Missouri
2007
Q. Mr. Bizub,
I didn't know the carbon level in a 1022 steel was enough to reach that hardness. More so inside, for there is also the cooling rate issue. Could it be the case treatment you mentioned alters its chemical analysis rendering something that is not 1022 anymore? Or could it be due to some work hardening effect?
Monterrey, NL, Mexico
2007
A. Good afternoon, Mr. Marrufo:
Many of these fasteners have a small major diameter. A fairly fast oil quench will harden out 1022 Si killed fine grained fasteners if they are #12 or smaller. Above that diameter, 1022 Si killed coarse grained steel is often used to give added hardenability. The self drilling, tapping, and thread rolling screws typically have a case only about 0.004-0.010" deep, depending on the major diameter of the screw. There is no work hardening effect; they are fully austenitized when they drop into the oil quench.
- St Louis, Missouri
2007
December 2, 2017
Q. Hi,
I have tried to use HCl to strip zinc from my motorcycle bolts so I could Nickel plate them. I may have done something very wrong and I need some help to understand what is salvageable.
As I blasted the parts prior to stripping the zinc from them I was getting bad nickel plating results as I imagine I had got zinc into the metal by blasting it.
For that reason I have tried different HCl approaches to strip the zinc:
Approach A:
Some of the bolts have been dipped into muriatic acid (25% HCl 75% distilled water) for a COUPLE HOURS hours. Visually they seem fine.
Approach B:
Some of the bolts have been dip into muriatic acid (25% HCl 75% distilled water) for 5 DAYS. Visually they seem fine.
Approach C:
Some of the bolts have been dip into 100% HCl for a COUPLE HOURS. Visually they seem corroded, brittle and light in weight. Completely ruined.
Based on that I have TWO questions:
Question 1 - As these fasteners are a structural part of the motorcycle and C seems to have completely ruined them. I would like to know if the approach A & B although the parts look fine may have made them weaken by hydrogen embrittlement or something else?
Question 2 - And if I did cause some weakening is there a way that I as a Hobbyist could test or detect it?
Hobbyist - Wellington-New Zealand
A. Hi Gui. Are you sure that the original coating was zinc plating? That should have come off in about a minute, 100X less time than your most conservative approach and 7000X times less than your second approach :-)
All of your hardware is probably dangerously compromised, and needs to be replaced. I think that what a hobbyist should probably do instead of impact testing is to always immediately bake the fasteners after rinsing. Don't use your kitchen oven though, because only food should go into a kitchen oven.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
December 2017
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