Impurities in metal raw materials: impurities in metal raw materials, especially those with high carbon content, promote hydrogen absorption by the metal.
Author: Anna
The main reasons for hydrogen embrittlement of metal in electroplating include the following:
Impurities in metal raw materials: impurities in metal raw materials, especially those with high carbon content, promote hydrogen absorption by the metal.
Hydrogen ions in the electrolyte: Hydrogen ions in the electrolyte are reduced to hydrogen under the action of current and voltage, and adsorbed into it through the metal surface, resulting in metal hydrogen absorption.
Excessive contact time between the metal and the solution during plating: If the metal is in contact with the plating solution for too long, it will increase the chance of hydrogen absorption by the metal.
Definition and mechanism of hydrogen embrittlement:
Hydrogen embrittlement is the phenomenon of delayed fracture of metal under stress. Hydrogen atoms gather at defects within the metal and form a large internal pressure, and when this pressure, along with the residual and applied stresses within the material, exceeds the yield strength of the material, fracture occurs as a result.
Methods to avoid and eliminate hydrogen embrittlement include:
Improve the purity of metal materials: Reducing the impurity content in metal materials can effectively reduce the chance of hydrogen absorption in metals.
Selecting the appropriate plating process: such as cobalt alloy plating, nickel alloy plating, etc., these processes can reduce the chance of metal hydrogen absorption.
Control the process parameters during plating: such as temperature, current, voltage, etc. to avoid metal hydrogen absorption
Enhance the surface treatment: such as pickling, grinding, polishing, etc., to remove the oxides and impurities on the metal surface to reduce the chance of metal hydrogen absorption
Reasonable control of plating time: minimize the contact time between metal and plating solution