Abstract
In this study chromium electroplating process, corresponding hydrogen embrittlement and the effects of baking on hydrogen diffusion are investigated. Three types of materials in the form of Raw 4340 steel, Chromium electroplated 4340 steel, and Chromium electroplated & baked 4340 steel are used in order to shed light into the aforementioned processes. Mechanical and microstructural analyses are carried out to observe the effects of hydrogen diffusion. Mechanical analyses show that tensile strength and hardness of the specimens deteriorate after chrome-electroplating process due to the presence of atomic hydrogen. XRD analyses are carried out for material characterization. Microstructural analyses reveal that hydrogen enters into the material with chromium electroplating process, and baking after chromium electroplating process is an effective way to prevent hydrogen embrittlement. Additionally, effects of hydrogen on the tensile response of ?-Fe based microstructure with similar chemical composition of alloying elements are simulated through Molecular Dynamics (MD) method.
Increasing anhydrous chromium chloride concentration in AlCl3–EMIC ionic liquid: a step towards non-hydrogen-embrittlement chromium electroplating
