Investigation of the hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility of steel components during thin-film hot-dip galvanizing

Abstract

Abstract With regard to the application of thin-film hot-dip galvanizing to a welded steel tube structure in vehicle construction, several test series were carried out to investigate the potential for hydrogen embrittlement caused by the pretreatment media used in the galvanizing process. Here, C-ring specimens were produced from the materials E355 and C75 in different tempering states, treated in a hydrochloric acid-based operational pickle, and then tested under constant strain rate or constant load. The results show that under the investigated pickling conditions, no hydrogen-induced embrittlement effect occurs up to a hardness of 470 HV in the case of material E355 and 500 HV in the case of material C75. Only in the case of 550 HV and 600 HV, both for C75, was a tendency to embrittlement observed; this effect was more pronounced after treatment with the freshly prepared pickle than in the operating pickles. The two test methods used showed consistent results.