Electroless nickel plating technology is a method in which metal salts and reducing agents are used to obtain coatings by autocatalytic reactions on the surface of materials. So far, electroless nickel plating is one of the fastest growing surface treatment processes and has the widest range of applications. It can make the machined precision parts more wear-resistant and durable. The rapid development of electroless nickel plating is due to its superior process characteristics.

1. Thickness uniformity, uniform thickness and good uniform plating ability are a major feature of electroless nickel plating and one of the reasons for its wide application. Electroless nickel plating avoids the uneven thickness of the electroplating layer due to uneven current distribution. The thickness of the plating layer varies greatly on the whole part, especially the parts with complex shapes. The plating layer is thicker at the corners of the part and near the anode, while the plating layer is very thin on the inner surface or far from the anode, or even Electroless plating can avoid this deficiency of electroplating. During electroless plating, as long as the surface of the part is in contact with the plating solution, the components consumed in the plating solution can be replenished in time, and the thickness of the plating layer in any part is basically the same, even in grooves, gaps, and blind holes.

2. There is no problem of hydrogen embrittlement. Electroplating uses power to convert nickel cations into metallic nickel and deposits them on the anode. The method of chemical reduction is to reduce nickel cations to metallic nickel and deposit on the surface of the base metal. Tests show that, The inclusion of hydrogen in the coating has nothing to do with the chemical reduction reaction, but has a great relationship with the electroplating conditions. Usually, the hydrogen content in the coating increases with the increase of the current density. It is very difficult to remove hydrogen from electroplating nickel, while electroless nickel plating does not require hydrogen removal.

3. The functions of many materials and parts, such as corrosion resistance, high temperature oxidation resistance, etc., are reflected by the surface layer of the materials and parts. In general, some chemical nickel plating layers with special functions can be used instead of others. The integral solid material prepared by the method can also replace parts made of precious raw materials by electroless nickel plating of a cheap base material. Therefore, the economic benefit of electroless nickel plating is very large.

4. It can be deposited on the surface of various materials, such as: steel nickel-based alloys, zinc-based alloys, glass, ceramics, plastics, semiconductors and other materials, thus creating conditions for improving the performance of these materials.

5. There is no need for DC motors or control equipment required for general electroplating, and the heat treatment temperature is low. As long as the temperature is below 400 °C after different holding times, different corrosion resistance and wear resistance can be obtained. Therefore, it has no heat treatment deformation. It is especially suitable for processing some parts with complex shapes and requiring wear and corrosion resistance on the surface.

Far East Tech has more than 200 precision machining machines and precision testing equipment, as well as a professional technical team with more than 15 years of precision machining experience, which can provide customers with one-stop services such as various surface treatments. We will discuss in the next article Introduce the difference between electroless nickel plating and electroplating nickel, so stay tuned. For more information Please contact us.