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Hydrogen embrittlement can be prevented through several methods, all of which are centered on minimizing contact between the metal and hydrogen, particularly during fabrication and the [[electrolysis of water]]. Embrittling procedures such as [[Pickling (metal)|acid pickling]] should be avoided, as should increased contact with elements such as [[sulfur]] and [[phosphate]].
If the metal has not yet started to crack, hydrogen embrittlement can be reversed by removing the hydrogen source and causing the hydrogen within the metal to diffuse out through [[Heat treating|heat treatment]]. This de-embrittlement process, known as [[low hydrogen annealing]] or "baking", is used to overcome the weaknesses of methods such as electroplating which introduce hydrogen to the metal, but is not always entirely effective because a sufficient time and temperature must be reached.<ref name="fastenal">{{cite web |url=http://www.fastenal.com/content/feds/pdf/Article%20-%20Embrittlement.pdf |title=Embrittlement |author=Federal Engineering and Design Support |website= Fastenal |publisher=Fastenal Company Engineering Department |access-date=9 May 2015}}</ref> Tests such as ASTM F1624 can be used to rapidly identify the minimum baking time (by testing using careful [[design of experiments]], a relatively low number of samples can be used to pinpoint this value). Then the same test can be used as a quality control check to evaluate if baking was sufficient on a per-batch basis.
In the case of welding, often pre-heating and post-heating the metal is applied to allow the hydrogen to diffuse out before it can cause any damage. This is specifically done with high-strength steels and [[low alloy steel]]s such as the [[chromium]]/[[molybdenum]]/[[vanadium]] [[alloy]]s. Due to the time needed to re-combine hydrogen atoms into the hydrogen molecules, hydrogen cracking due to welding can occur over 24 hours after the welding operation is completed.
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