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Pretreatment for Electroless Nickel (EN) on Brass

We are a job shop plater that does Electroless Nickel among other things. I'm in search of a good process for cleaning, activating and Electroless Nickel Plating Brass.

Mike Roberg
Job shop Manager - Minneapolis, Minnesota
May 3, 2010

I think the best way is to give the parts an electrolytic nickel strike before the EN. A conventional Watts bath may work fine. Depending on the geometry of your parts and the required throwing power, you may need a special purpose nickel strike. Some people overcome this step and provide several seconds of direct current to the parts once in the EN bath but the results may not be satisfactory with this approach.

Guillermo Marrufo
Monterrey, NL, Mexico
May 8, 2010

Is it "leaded" brass? If so, dip in fluoboric acid then strike in fluoborate nickel, then use your electroless nickel. The problem is that the smeared lead on the surface forms insoluble salts with chlorides and sulphates, then flake off. The fluoborates do not form insoluble salts

Robert H Probert
Robert H Probert Technical Services

Garner, North Carolina

May 10, 2010

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