Summary for nickel sulfamate storage Discussion
Nickel sulfamate storage is generally not a problem if the bath crystallizes while sitting idle, according to Trevor Crichton. He explains that nickel sulphamate can crystallize out of solution, especially in high-concentration electrolytes, and that this is usually acceptable as long as the bath volume is kept topped up and the bath is reheated carefully. He cautions that crystals on the heaters are the main risk, because deposits can insulate the heaters and cause burnout. Crichton also notes the crystals may not even be nickel sulfamate; they could be boric acid, which likewise is not a concern if the bath is warmed back up with care. The questioner stored the bath at room temperature with nickel pellets and titanium baskets left in it, and the answer indicates that the key issue is careful reheating rather than long-term idle storage.
Q. As the bath sits around it crystalizes, is this ok? what is the best way to store it when it is not used? It’s stored at room temp and the nickel pellets and titanium baskets are left in it.
Ed Schuster
hobby – LA, California
2005
A. Nickel sulphamate does crystallise out of solution, especially if you are using high concentration electrolytes. In reality this does not matter as long as you keep the bath volume topped up and are careful when you heat the bath up. If there are crystals on the heaters you can run the risk of burning them out because the deposits act as a thermal insulator. The crystals may not be adjust nickel sulphamate, it could be boric acid. Again, that is not a problem as long as care is taken when reheating the bath.
Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
2005
Q. I have the solution in a pyrex beaker [beakers on
eBay
or
Amazon [affil link] and am heating it underneath the beaker, so I guess I am ok.I am going to plate a part with a one square foot surface area in a 3 gallon bath with 10 pounds of s rounds in it, does this sound OK or should the bath be much larger?Thanks for your response to this, and the s rounds post.
Ed Schuster [returning]
Hobby – LA, California
2005
A. Your tank sounds a bit small. Assuming it is a normal pyrex beaker, I reckon it will be equivalent to a 10 liter one. Trying to get a sample 1 ft square in that may be a squeeze. You will get nickel plating, but the thickness distribution will be all over the place. I would be much happier with a greater anode-cathode distance, say 12 inches, then you can get better thickness control all over your article. Regarding the nickel anode; all you need is an approximate equivalent surface area. 10 lbs of nickel rounds is probably over the top! Just fill an anode basket
⇦ huh? of (one sided) surface area of about a square foot. Remember to use an anode bag
⇦ huh? to prevent any debris contaminating your bath. As far as mixing S and N nickel, I wouldn’t do it. The reason being that the beauty of S nickel is that it dissolves much more uniformly than N nickel. Furthermore, N nickel requires chloride ions to be present to promote polarisation, otherwise it passivates. You can of course add nickel chloride to your sulphamate bath and make it to an equivalent watts nickel, but then you lose all the advantages of a sulphamate bath. Can you not sell the N nickel back to the supplier, or at least do a part exchange?
Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
2005
The part is a tubular type piece, it fits in ok, I was going to put a electric motor on top to rotate it slowly while plating. So if the tank is on the small side, you will not hurt the bath or ph, it’s more about getting a even coat? I mainly do small parts, I am trying to make my set up work for this one piece. Thanks again for your help.
Ed Schuster [returning]
Hobby – LA, California
2005
adv.
“The Sulfamate Nickel How-To Guide”
by David Crotty, PhD
& Robert Probert
published Oct. 2018
$89 plus shipping