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Nickel Plating

2005

Hi, we open new project and ll do hard nickel electroplating, we ll use solution consist from:
Nickel sulphate 180 g/L, Ammonium Chloride 25 g/L, Boric Acid 30 g/L, Sodium Saccharin 0.5-4 g/L.
My Q:
1- what material should the tank be made from (can I use plastic one or stainless steel?),
2- and I need analysis process easy and that can I do, to analyze the 4 component concentrations in solution after a period of time.
3- I need 2 tank, one to give yield strength about 600 MPa and another give about 1100 MPa, any advice to how make it by changing pH and current density?

M. Farouk
Farouk - Egypt

Ammonium Chloride?

Chris Snyder
plater - Charlotte, North Carolina
2005

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First of two simultaneous responses --

Ammonium Chloride - For Hard Nickel it is OK.

Sara Michaeli
Tel-Aviv-Yafo, Israel
2005

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Second of two simultaneous responses --

Hard Nickel?

Gene Packman
process supplier - Great Neck, New York
2005

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2005

Plastic tanks are OK (preferably UHMW polyethylene without welds or polypropylene welded by qualified personnel. For chemicals, nickel sulphate is titrated as nickel metal (in this site you'll find formulas), boric is difficult, it's easier to saturate (saturation happens close to what you want at temperatures of around 60 deg C, excess will precipitate and adhere to your anode bags), ammonium chloride is titrated, sodium saccharin I really don't know (never did it but I'm sure you'll find it somewhere in a good book). Regarding hardness and tensile strength both are increased by increasing pH. Hopefully you know the rest of the story about hard nickel. How can you embark in a project without knowing the basics? Chemical balance and plant engrg. are basics.

Guillermo Marrufo
Monterrey, NL, Mexico

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Tell me the electrolyte for nickel plating on aluminum which I can make by nickel sulphate.

Vivek
Student - Mumbai, Maharastra, India
2007

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The Watts nickel bath is the most popular, Vivek, and it contains nickel sulphate but also a smaller amount of nickel chloride and boric acid. However, nickel cannot be plated directly onto aluminum. First the aluminum must be zincated, and then either electroless nickel plated or cyanide copper plated then acid copper plated before nickel plating. Good luck.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2007