No passwords, No popups, No cost, No AI:
we earn from 'affiliate link' purchases, making the site possible

Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

finishing.com -- The Home Page of the Finishing Industry

  The authoritative public forum
  for Metal Finishing since 1989

-----

Hydrogen Embrittlement

January 30, 2009

We have a heat treated flat washer that was zinc plated without the hydrogen embrittlement
bake cycle.
Can the reworking process of stripping, replating and baking correct any hydrogen
embrittlement problems?

Lloyd Fohner
Plating Shop Owner - Erie, PA, USA

Basically, no. If the washers are Rc 39 or higher, they should have been baked immediately after plating.
It is my understanding that once the Hydrogen propagates into the steel, typically along the grain boundaries, the damage is done and can not be undone.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida

Lloyd,

To the best of my knowledge the damage (if any) is already done. There isn't any going back.

Trent Kaufman
electroplater - Galva, Illinois

(No "dead threads" here! If this page isn't currently on the Hotline your Q, A, or Comment will restore it)

Q, A, or Comment on THIS thread -or- Start a NEW Thread

Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories: