Process Control Verification to Prevent Hydrogen Embrittlement In Plated or Coated Fasteners- An Experimental-based Evaluation of the Test Method

摘要

At its inception, the incremental step load (ISL) method offered tremendous potential as a practical tool for quantifying the internal hydrogen embrittlement (IHE) induced by a finishing process. For the first time in an industrial setting, it would be possible to obtain a quantitative statistical evaluation of finishing processes for damage from IHE. An ASTM F16.93 task group was established to investigate and develop the use of this new process control method. The main challenge facing the task group was to first establish the reliability of the test method and the instrument. The ongoing challenge is to validate the practicability of this process control method by developing sampling and testing methodologies that are accessible to industry. This paper will discuss results of R&R studies, experimentation with test procedure variables, sampling plans and the impact of certain process variables on hydrogen charging.