Bake Finishes (Hydrogen embrittlement reversal process, Pre and/or Post)

Baking finishes is a crucial step to prevent hydrogen embrittlement in metal parts, especially after electroplating. Here’s how it works:

What is Hydrogen Embrittlement?
 – It’s a loss of ductility due to excess hydrogen absorption, making the material brittle.

What causes it?
During electroplating, hydrogen from water may co-deposit onto the substrate along with metal ions.

Why is it a problem?
Hydrogen atoms are smaller than metal atoms, leading to their migration into the base metal’s crystal lattice.

Prevention Techniques:

Post-Plating Baking: We can immediately bake the part after plating (within one hour) to reverse hydrogen embrittlement. General guidelines recommend 4 hours at 375°F (or lower for steels), and typically up to 23 hours.

How to minimize Hydrogen embrittlement:

Inhibitors During Pickling: inhibitors to reduce hydrogen pick-up during pre-plating cleaning can be used in some applications.

Alloy Substitution: Where applicable, engineers can substitute high-risk metals (like high-strength steels) with those having lower hydrogen diffusion rates (e.g., nickel, zinc, or molybdenum) where possible.

Remember, baking helps release trapped hydrogen and ensures part integrity. If you have technical questions regarding your project, please call today.

Please note: We currently do NOT do “baked-on finishes” such as powder coating but have suppliers that can help you.