Summary for boron nitride nickel plating Discussion
Boron nitride nickel plating is discussed as a possible low-friction coating for a 2 mm ID tube that must handle at least 400 °C, but the thread makes clear that the process is not a simple DIY project. Julian Halley asked whether boron nitride coating could be done without industrial equipment and whether a thick BN layer could be deposited. The reply explains that he is really describing electroless nickel with embedded boron nitride particles, not nickel-boron chemistry, and says that while nothing is impossible, developing such a process is very difficult. The practical advice is to send the parts to a plating job shop that already offers the process, or license it from a supplier if you have plating capability. The merged thread also notes that boron nitride is hard and expensive to apply, and for a different aluminum-surface goal, hard anodizing was suggested as a tried-and-true alternative. For molten aluminum service, graphite was recommended in another subthread.
Q. Is it possible to do Boron Nitride coating without industrial equipment? How?
Hi, my name is Dennis and I’m looking for a low-friction solution for the inside of a tube (2 mm interior diameter). The tube material can be (almost) anything that withstands temperatures of at least 400 °C. Stainless steel could be a good material and compatible with the process I am looking at:
I was reading recently about Boron Nitride Nickel Electroless plating, unfortunately could not find anything specific enough in regards to the operation. Also, I am aiming for a thick BN layer deposition (at least 0.1mm).
Please DO NOT confuse it with Boron-Nickel plating! It is not the same!
Boron Nitride offers a self-lubricating surface. It is not a metallic alloy, but a mineral deposit. I don’t know what is the purpose of the nickel in here, perhaps as surface activator.
My question is if there is a way to do this with D-I-Y methods and if the answer is yes, how to proceed?
Thank you.
Julian Halley
– London, UK
September 24, 2020
A. Hi Julian. Yes, I understand that you want an electroless nickel process with embedded boron nitride particles, where the nickel occludes the particles into the coating, not an electroless nickel process based on nickel boron chemistry.
Nothing is impossible, but the development of these processes is certainly very difficult work, so you might be better off sending the parts to a plating jobshop which offers the process or, if you have plating capability in your own shop, license the process from a supplier.
We appended your inquiry to one of several threads about the subject so that you can read up on it as you request.
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
⇩ Similar, related, Q&As — oldest first ⇩
Q. We are using cast iron thermocouples to sense the Aluminium metal temperature. That cast iron body will be always inside the furnace which has 680 °C metal, and the cast iron body is getting melted within 48 hours. Is there is any corrosive resistant coating available to protect cast iron body under this circumstance to increase its life?
K. Annamalai
plating shop – Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
2004
2004
A. You may want to try a Boron Nitride coating. It’s available in a spray or may be brushed on like paint. Boron Nitride will resist wetting by molten Aluminum and Al Alloys, it will be effective to about 2000 °C.
Good luck & Best regards,
Jim Sivertsen
Refining & Alloys – Alden, New York
Thermocouple tubes are being coated with Boron Nitride Coatings in India to extend the life of the tubes.
Regards,
Mr. Manoj Saraf
– Kolkata, India
2004
2004
“Effects of Stellite-6 Coating on properties of Stainless Steel”
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Dear Sir,
Stellite 6 coating can very well withstand that temperature and thermowell shall not have any problem.
J.V.PAWAR
– Pune, Maharashtra, India
Multiple threads merged: please forgive chronology errors and repetition 🙂
I am researching the process and process chemicals necessary to produce a boron nitride produced oxide (I think) surface on aluminum plate. My desired result will be an aluminum plate surface which is considerably smoother than untreated and presents some durability. The finished surface need not stand up to severe direct abrasion but should wear better than the raw surface.
Mike Andrus
– Hurricane, Utah, United States
2005
You just “think” or you “know” it has to be boron nitride? Boron Nitride, indeed, is very hard but difficult and expensive to apply. Now, based on your goal, you should know there is a way to produce a hard coating over aluminum of something “almost as hard” in a very tried-and-true-less-expensive way. It’s called hard anodizing and the coating produced is aluminum oxide (sapphires, rubies, emery paper, blast powders and cutting stones are made of it).
Guillermo Marrufo
Monterrey, NL, Mexico
2005
Best coating for steel trough carrying molten aluminum
Q. We have a steel trough that we use to help pour molten aluminum from a bull ladle into a holding furnace at the die cast machine. We eat through a trough in less than a month. What coating could we use to help prevent the aluminum from destroying our troughs.
Alex Lubich
Co-op student – Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, us
May 19, 2017
A. The only coating that I can think of with a budget in mind that can withstand molten aluminum like a champ is Graphite.
Try an anti slip graphite coating on the inside of the steel trough; it can be sprayed or rolled/brushed.
Marvin Sevilla
– Managua, Nicaragua
May 23, 2017
Ed. note: Readers, please see also thread 25680 “Nickel coatings with boron-nitride, mold release coatings” for deeper coverage of this subject.