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Blisters in Nickel Plate after heat Treat

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Q. We are producing parts made from 4340M material.
Our customer requires the inside diameter to be Nickel Plated per AMS-QQ-N-290 with a minimum thickness 0f .003".
Subsequently these parts are thermal treated with Temperatures up to 1700 °F.

James Campbell
- Santa Fe Springs California
March 7, 2023

The Sulphamate Nickel How-To Guide
by David Crotty, PhD & Robert Probert

on

A. Hi James. Do you happen to know whether the customer has ever had parts successfully plated to that requirement?

Although topic 37838, "Blistering of parts after nickel plating" offers a good deal of food for thought on improving nickel adhesion against heat, between the facts that we're taking 0.003" of Nickel (2X as thick as the thickest class in the spec), heat treating it to 1700 °F (very hot), and on an I.D. (very difficult compared to an O.D.) this strikes me as a very tall order :-)

At the least I think I'd want to try it with a sulphamate nickel, not a Watts nickel.
Luck & Regards,

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

A. Especially on a 4000 alloy you might need a nickel chloride strike, but first do what Ted mooney said.

Robert H Probert
Robert H Probert Technical Services

Garner, North Carolina

March 9, 2023

Ted: Thank you for your input.
Robert: Thank you for your input. The plating process is already sulfamate nickel.

James Campbell [returning]
- Santa Fe Springs California

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