Greetings and a question for all metalurgists.

When steel is electrically plated with chrome or cadmium, the process causes hydrogen embrittlement of the steel. Critical strength parts then have to be immediately baked for several hours at about 375 dgr. to reverse this undesirable effect. There have been several aircraft and helicopter crashes attributed to improper plating.
My question is does electroless nickel plating have this or any other undesirable metalurgical side effects?

Thanks Kevin.

quote:

When steel is electrically plated with chrome or cadmium, the process causes hydrogen embrittlement of the steel.

Let me give my understanding here

When heat treated steel is electrically plated with chrome or cadmium any coating preventing escape of hydrogen molecules , the process causes hydrogen embrittlement of the steel.

As far as I know mete is the only metalurgist that posts here....I'd wait for his explanation on this

My limited knowledge is this: sometimes before enickel is done it goes through a electroclean and hydro cloric bath. Excuse my misspelling. If you skip the bath and you beadblast the part and then enickel you won't have a problem. I understand that the oven treatment will get rid of the hydrogen embrittlement, but is not a concern with beadblasted enickel.
Butch