Letter 18596

Engineering the production of the "magic" stress reducer  

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When doing sulfamate nickel plating, certain breakdown products are generated whose exact molecular formulas are not known, but which are known to be stress relaxers. One of these breakdown products goes by the name of AUP, or "the magic stress reducer" (and possibly a few other names). I have a number of literature articles which note the existence of this product and its effects, and offer some attempts at exact analysis of the material.

But I once saw, and cannot seem to find now, a published article about how to engineer the production of this stress reducer in the plating cell. I know there is a published technique where sulfurized nickel anodes are used in the main plating cell, but there is an auxiliary cell or overflow cell where electrolytic nickel anodes are employed in order to generate the stress relaxer. I remember that this cell design was reputed to allow plating at very high current density (over 200 ASF) with near zero stress and, I believe, no need for other addition agents.

If anyone has any recollection of this and can point me to the article I would appreciate it!

Ted Mooney, P.E.  finishing.com Brick, New Jersey

In 1990, Dr. S. Alec Watson published one of the most comprehensive papers on the subject that is (or was) available thru the Nickel Development Institute page. Just type NiDI and search on technical papers.

Best regards,

Guillermo Marrufo
Monterrey, NL, Mexico

Ted, I have a copy of an electroforming guide produced by INCO, which mentions the formation of stress reducer (azodisulfonate)when using insoluble platinum electrodes or high currents on nickel anodes. I have got it in pdf format if you want a copy, or you can download it from INCO's site.

Regards,

Richard Guise
- Lowestoft, U.K.

Ted,

Guillermo is correct but more specifically you want Technical Series # 10052 "Nickel Sulphamate Solutions" By Dr.Alec Watson.

Russell Richter Gar Electroforming Div. Danbury, CT, USA

Thank you very much Guillermo, Richard, Russell!

Ted Mooney finishing.com Brick, New Jersey

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