Summary for nickel sulfamate bath tensile strength Discussion
Raising tensile strength in nickel sulfamate bath is the issue, but this thread excerpt does not include a technical solution. Jawed Sabir says the bath cobalt is controlled by ICAP testing at 3-5%, with 4% considered optimum in the tank, but he is still waiting for an answer to his original question. Ted Mooney, P.E. replies that he cannot help further and asks for reader participation, noting that the public forum depends on people helping each other. No specific process adjustment, additive change, or operating condition is given in the excerpt, so the discussion mainly shows the question and the lack of a posted answer.
The Sulfamate Nickel How-To Guide
by David Crotty, PhD & Robert Probert
Q. We are trying to increase tensile strength in our nickel sulfamate bath using saccharine up to highest level. We don’t want to use phosphorus due to welding restriction.
Nickel level is optimum: 11oz/gal
Boric is 7 oz /gal
Chloride is higher then optimum level which is 1oz/gal.
Plating on st.steel coupon 0.002 micro inch
Using de-polarized s anodes.
plating 16 hours at 135 mA. Required tensile strength is above 165 KSI but always getting lower then that. We tried all conditions:
pH level is 4.2- to 4.5
Temp: 44.00 C
Elongation : suppose to be above 1 % but is lower always.
So, need any suggestion what is missing in the tank.
Jawed Sabir
Chemist – Cedar Grove, NJ
October 1, 2025
A. Hi Jawed
Since you’re looking for greater strength, what is missing is cobalt 🙂
Please contact NiCoForm [a finishing.com supporting advertiser].
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
Q. Cobalt we have in between 3-5 % which we control by ICAP testing.
Optimum is 4% in the tank.
Jawed Sabir [returning]
Chemist – Cedar Grove NJ
Q. I am still waiting for the answer.
Jawed Sabir [returning]
Chemist – Cedar Grove NJ
A. Hi again Jawed; sorry, I can’t help further.
I hope a reader will help, but as we repeatedly note, this public forum can’t work except when readers try to help each other. There are some companies whose employees have posted questions here a dozen times over decades now without ever attempting to help any other readers.
Luck & Regards!
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
Q. Waiting for the response of my thread.
Jawed Sabir [returning]
Chemist – Cedar Grove NJ
October 16, 2025