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Application requirement of Nickel vs Nickel-Chromium plating

Dear Sir,
We are developing hydraulic pistons which require properties of corrosion and wear resistance. We decided to plate with either Ni plating or Ni-Cr plating. Ni-Cr plating is costlier. Is it good to go with Ni plating? Which characteristics influence of selecting above mentioned platings?

Siva Kumar
Product designer - Chennai, Tamilnadu, India
May 10, 2010

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Hi, Siva. Electrolytic nickel plating will not be satisfactory. You must do the nickel-chrome plating because the chrome adds corrosion resistance (symbiotically in concert with the nickel plating) and a low coefficient of friction. But decorative nickel-chrome plating is not generally used for this application because of the thinness of the chrome. Usually a heavy chrome plating, hard chrome, would be used for wear resistance and oil retention.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
May 10, 2010

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Dear Siva,
better you try with Zinc Flake coatings.

Kannan Boopathi
- Salem, Tamil Nadu, India
May 12, 2010

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Zinc flake doesn't have any wear properties, great corrosion resistance but I would think the hydraulic seal would scrape it right off.

Trent Kaufman
electroplater - Galva, Illinois
May 13, 2010

Dear Siva, you should opt for electroless nickel plating

Harish Gurnani
- India
June 5, 2010

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Dear Siva,
You have not mention where these pistons rods are used. For Earth moving Hydraulic Cylinders Piston rods 25-40 microns of Hard Chrome plating is generally applied as they withstand varied climatic conditions. However in Marine conditions I would prefer 20 microns of duplex Nickel and 10 microns of Chrome

Mahendra Gargatti
electroplaters - Belgaum, Karnataka, India
October 1, 2010