ABSTRACT
The exposure of parts to water-based cleaning, electroplating operations, and other hydrogenbearing media (even outside moisture in assembled joints) presents the possibility that hydrogen will infiltrate into the parts. If it does, then, depending on the amount of hydrogen present, the form it has taken within the part, and the hardness of the part, it can cause sudden failure after assembly due to hydrogen embrittlement. Although this topic is covered in detail elsewhere in this book, the following variables are generally accepted as key factors in minimizing hydrogen embrittlement from processing, when the hardness of the part so merits.
