Metal whiskers can be a very disruptive phenomenon within Tin, Cadmium and Zinc electroplated, both alkaline and acid based products.  The whiskers can take several weeks or even several months to appear, typically reaching sizes of around 2mm by 2 microns and can migrate into electronic components where they can distort signals and cause short circuits within equipment, ultimately leading to product failure. Coatings can be applied to prevent this. For more information on Zinc Whiskers click here.