H2Free · Project

Smarter Degassing Guidelines to Prevent Steel Cracking in Aerospace Components

manufacturingTestedTRL 4

Imagine you coat a super-strong steel bolt with a protective layer, but during that process invisible hydrogen atoms sneak inside the metal and can make it crack months later — like a ticking time bomb. Right now, factories bake every coated part the same way to drive out that hydrogen, whether the part needs it or not. H2Free ran experiments and built computer models to figure out exactly how hydrogen moves through different steel-and-coating combinations, so manufacturers can tailor the baking step to each part — saving time, energy, and enabling a switch from toxic cadmium coatings to safer zinc-nickel ones.

By the numbers

consortium partners

countries involved (BE, DE, ES)

research centres in the consortium

industry partners including 1 SME

total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Aerospace and defense manufacturers using ultra-high-strength steels for critical parts like landing gear face a hidden danger: hydrogen atoms trapped during electroplating can cause sudden cracking weeks or months later. The current fix — a standard baking cycle applied identically to every part — wastes energy and production time because it ignores differences in steel grade and coating type. Meanwhile, the industry needs to replace toxic cadmium coatings with zinc-nickel alternatives, but lacks confidence that degassing will be effective enough to prevent failures.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered a practical guideline containing simple rules and formulas for designing hydrogen degassing processes tailored to specific ultra-high-strength steel and Zn-Ni coating combinations. This was backed by manufactured test coupons and tensile specimens, experimental hydrogen effusion data, and simulation models predicting remaining hydrogen concentration and embrittlement probability in coated components.

Audience

Who needs this

Aerospace landing gear manufacturers dealing with hydrogen embrittlement specificationsElectroplating and surface treatment companies serving the aerospace sectorAerospace MRO companies re-coating high-strength steel componentsMaterials simulation software vendors building aerospace process toolsDefense contractors manufacturing high-strength steel structural parts

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Aerospace component manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Landing gear and structural component producers

If you are an aerospace parts manufacturer dealing with hydrogen embrittlement risk in ultra-high-strength steel components — this project developed practical guidelines with simple rules and formulas to optimize your degassing process for Zn-Ni coated parts. Instead of applying the same blanket baking cycle to every component, you can tailor the process based on actual steel and coating composition, cutting production time and enabling a shift away from toxic cadmium coatings.

Surface treatment and electroplating

SME

Target: Industrial plating service providers

If you are a surface treatment company applying corrosion-protection coatings to high-strength steels and struggling with hydrogen embrittlement complaints from your aerospace clients — this project produced modelling tools and experimental data showing how different Zn-Ni plating parameters affect hydrogen intake and degassing efficiency. These guidelines help you offer a certified low-hydrogen-embrittlement process that can replace cadmium plating.

Aerospace MRO and overhaul

mid-size

Target: Maintenance, repair and overhaul companies servicing landing gear

If you are an MRO company re-plating landing gear components and need to ensure hydrogen degassing meets airworthiness standards — this project created prediction models for remaining hydrogen concentration after degassing and the probability of embrittlement. This means you can validate your baking cycles against component-specific data rather than relying on generic standards, reducing both risk and unnecessary processing time.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement these degassing guidelines in our production line?

The project does not disclose budget figures or licensing costs. The main output is a practical guideline with simple rules and formulas — implementation would primarily require adjusting existing degassing oven parameters rather than purchasing new equipment. Contact the coordinator for licensing or consultancy terms.

Can these guidelines scale to high-volume aerospace production?

The guidelines were developed specifically for industrial application to ultra-high-strength steels plated with Zn-Ni, which is a standard aerospace coating process. The consortium included 2 industry partners alongside 4 research centres across 3 countries, indicating the work was designed with real production constraints in mind.

What is the IP situation — can we license the models or guidelines?

The project was funded under Clean Sky 2 (JTI-CS2), which typically involves IP agreements between the consortium and the Clean Sky Joint Undertaking. Based on available project data, specific licensing terms would need to be discussed with the coordinator FUNDACION CIDETEC or the relevant Clean Sky topic leader.

Does this help us move away from cadmium coatings?

Yes — the project explicitly aims to allow Zn-Ni coatings to overtake cadmium coatings by providing reliable degassing guidelines. Cadmium is increasingly restricted under REACH regulation, and these guidelines give manufacturers the confidence to switch to Zn-Ni without increasing hydrogen embrittlement risk.

How mature is the technology — is this ready to use?

The project delivered experimental data, simulation models, and a practical guideline with simple formulas for designing degassing processes. The consortium manufactured and tested coupons and tensile specimens. This is validated research ready for industrial pilot testing, not yet a commercial product.

Can the models be integrated into our existing production planning software?

The project developed modelling and simulation tools to predict hydrogen effusion in coated ultra-high-strength steels. Based on available project data, the models were built to link with central European materials modelling platforms. Integration specifics would need to be discussed with the consortium.

Consortium

Who built it

The H2Free consortium brings together 6 partners from 3 countries (Belgium, Germany, Spain), led by FUNDACION CIDETEC, a well-known Spanish surface engineering research centre. The mix of 4 research centres and 2 industry partners (including 1 SME) shows a research-heavy team with enough industrial grounding to ensure practical outputs. The 33% industry ratio is moderate — strong enough for validated guidelines but suggesting the work leans more toward research than near-market deployment. The geographic spread across Belgium, Germany, and Spain covers key European aerospace manufacturing hubs. For a business looking to adopt these results, the presence of industry partners means the guidelines were tested against real production constraints, not just laboratory conditions.

FUNDACION CIDETECCoordinator · ES
ELSYCA NVparticipant · BE
MAX-PLANCK-INSTITUT FUR NACHHALTIGE MATERIALIEN GMBHparticipant · DE
FUNDACION AZTERLANparticipant · ES
HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM HEREON GMBHparticipant · DE

How to reach the team

FUNDACION CIDETEC (Spain) — contact via their website or CORDIS contact form for licensing and technical details

Order a report on this consortium See FUNDACION CIDETEC profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want a tailored brief on how H2Free results apply to your coating or degassing process? Contact SciTransfer for a matchmaking introduction to the research team.

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