May 14, 2026
Hydrogen Embrittlement: why a perfect part fails after zinc plating
A Class 12.9 bolt passes all quality controls, is installed correctly, and fails after 72 hours. There is no visible corrosion. There was no overloading. The problem occurred before assembly, during the coating process. It's called hydrogen embrittlement, and in the metalworking industry, it's one of the most underestimated failure modes.