Official Answer
Answer
Hydrogen embrittlement failure is characterized by a sudden, brittle fracture that occurs under static load, often hours or days after installation. The fracture surface, when viewed under a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), shows 'intergranular' cracking, where the grain boundaries have separated. Unlike fatigue failure, there are no 'beach marks' or striations. If a batch of carbon steel springs fails prematurely in a static application, the plating process should be the first area of investigation, specifically checking the time-to-bake and bake temperature parameters.
