‌The solutions to metal hydrogen embrittlement in electroplating

27 Mar.,2025

‌Improve the purity of metal materials: Reducing the impurity content in metal materials can effectively reduce the chance of metal absorbing hydrogen. In the process of metal preparation, heating treatment, smelting and other methods can be used to improve the purity of the metal. ‌

 

Author: Anna

The solutions to hydrogen embrittlement of metal in electroplating mainly include the following:

 

Improve the purity of metal materials: reducing the impurity content in metal materials can effectively reduce the chance of metal hydrogen absorption. In the process of metal preparation, heating treatment, fusion smelting and other methods can be used to improve the purity of the metal

 

Selection of appropriate plating process: the use of low hydride 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 in the plating process: including temperature, current, voltage and other parameters, choose the appropriate current density to avoid metal hydrogen absorption

 

Enhance the surface treatment: before plating, acid washing, grinding, polishing and other treatments on the metal material to remove oxides and impurities on the metal surface, reducing the chance of metal hydrogen absorption

 

Reasonable control of plating time: minimize the contact time between metal and plating solution to reduce the chance of metal hydrogen absorption

 

Reduce the amount of hydrogen seepage in the metal: when removing rust and oxide skin, try to use sand blowing to remove rust, if using pickling, need to add corrosion inhibitors in the pickling solution; in the degreasing, using chemical degreasing, cleaning agents or solvent degreasing, less hydrogen seepage; in plating, use alkaline plating solution or high-current efficiency plating solution less hydrogen seepage 

 


Use of low hydrogen diffusivity and low hydrogen solubility plating coating: such as copper, molybdenum, aluminum, silver, gold, tungsten and other metals plating with low hydrogen diffusivity and low hydrogen solubility, less hydrogen seepage.

 

Stress relief before plating and dehydrogenation after plating: for parts that have been quenched and welded, stress relief should be carried out before plating, and dehydrogenation should be carried out after plating in order to eliminate hydrogen embrittlement hazards.