Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Nickel Plating Poblem

Dear Sir,

Our Plating shop has a repeated failure of Nickel-plating on a ring shaped object, which needs to be .025" thick layer plated. There are pores found throughout the plated area. Besides the plated layer separates from the base metal completely. This total separation happens when the plated part is machined - to remove muts accumulated. Also, accumulated muts are unusually excess around "edge" areas.

What could be the source of such anomaly?

Thank you!

Ambachew A.
airlines - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
2004

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There are levelers that chemical suppliers sell for the purpose of reducing nodules and build up. Also, the separation could come from insufficient etch, improper cleaning and activation or excessive internal stress in the plate. Are you using a low stress nickel bath such as sulfamate?

Guillermo Marrufo
Monterrey, NL, Mexico
2004

You do not say what type of nickel plating solution you are using and what the substrate pretreatment is. Failures of the type you describe could be due to many factors but guessing (!) from what limited information you have stated I would feel that either you have a stressed deposit from poor bath control or selection of the wrong chemistry. It also could be from inadequate surface preparation. More information is necessary.

Gene Packman
process supplier - Great Neck, New York
2004