Chemical Nickel Plating This is an alternate term for "Electroless Nickel Plating", a process where reducing ions as well as nickel ions are in the solution so it is sort of 'spring loaded; as soon as a catalytic metal is present in the solution the nickel starts depositing. It is sometimes called "Autocatalytic Nickel Plating" because the nickel which is deposited is itself a catalytic surface driving continuing nickel deposition.