Pickling brittleness

Pickling brittleness is a phenomenon that occurs in connection with metallic materials and is influenced by the pickling process. This process involves the removal of oxides and other impurities from the metal surface to prepare it for further processing steps. Pickling brittleness refers to the tendency of a metal to become brittle when exposed to certain conditions during pickling.

Pickling brittleness occurs in particular with high-alloy steels that contain certain alloying elements such as chromium, molybdenum or titanium. During the pickling process, these alloying elements can react with the hydrogen present in the pickling agent and introduce hydrogen atoms into the metal. This can lead to a change in the metallurgical structure and make the material brittle.

Brittleness in metallic materials is problematic as brittle materials tend to fail under load without prior deformation. This can lead to serious problems in various applications, including the construction industry or in safety-critical components.

To avoid pickling brittleness, special pickling processes or compositions are used that aim to minimize the formation of hydrogen in the material. Additionally, temperature controls and specific parameters can be implemented during the pickling process to reduce the risk of pickling brittleness. Understanding the metallurgical properties and conditions of the pickling process is therefore crucial to ensure the quality and integrity of treated metal parts.