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Risks of diluting an evaporated nickel plating solution?

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Q. We have a nickel plating solution (semi bright finish) in the lab I work in (PhD student) and recently someone used it for so long that there was a significant amount of evaporation of the fluid.

I was wondering if there are any precedents on diluting a nickel strike with distilled (or de-ionised) water or an acid) as the object I need to plate are quite large, or is the best practice to just buy a new chemical?

Sorry if this was a previously asked question. I don't think I have discovered the correct search terms to solve me problem yet.

Thanks for any help,

Catherine

catherine crotty
McGill - Montreal, Canada
February 5, 2020

A. Hi Catherine. I don't think the question has been asked before. I see no risks in it except that you should probably drum 20% of it before you start, just to make sure you'll have room in the tank to make up a balanced solution. You can add some or all of that 20% back in if the nickel concentration is not excessive.

But you must be clear about whether you are speaking of "nickel plating solution (semi bright finish)" or "nickel strike" as they are quite different. If you are speaking of a Wood's Nickel Strike (for activating stainless steel or nickel plating), it is very important that the nickel concentration not be excessive. If that is the solution you are trying to restore, search the site for "Wood's Nickel". If it's a "semi-bright nickel plating" solution, search the site for that. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
February 2020

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