The Boeing Company
Low hydrogen embrittlement zinc/nickel plating for high strength steels

Abstract:

The invention provides a method for producing a corrosion-resistant article, where the article is conductive and subject to hydrogen uptake during electroplating of a coating. The method comprises electroplating a zinc/nickel coating on the article in an aqueous, basic plating solution containing zinc and nickel ions. The method uses an electrolyte in the form of a soluble hydroxide salt with the weight ratio of zinc ions to nickel ions in the solution being sufficient to provide the coating comprising from about 85% to about 95% by weight zinc, and about 5% to about 15% by weight nickel. The plating solution is substantially free of brightening agents which retard hydrogen bake-out.