Electroless nickel
Electroless nickel is a nickel-phosphorus alloy which can be advantageously used to achieve high wear resistance and good corrosion protection.
Electroless nickel
Electroless nickel is a treatment method that occurs without electrical current, making it possible to apply a completely uniform coating on all surfaces, even on highly complex objects or internally within a tube.
A distinction is typically made between three types of chemical nickel: low, medium and high phosphorus. The phosphorus content is an expression of whether you want high wear resistance, high corrosion protection or a compromise of both. We offer all three surface treatments.
Typical layer thickness:
Normally, items with electroless nickel must be coated with between 5 and 25 µm, depending on the requirements for the coating. Electroless nickel acts as a corrosion protector due to its density and does not act as a sacrificial metal (as with zinc coatings on iron). The greater the corrosion protection required, the thicker the electroless nickel layer must be.
Appearance:
Light, semi-glossy – somewhat reminiscent of stainless steel. The finish of the raw material is of great importance for the end result.
Application:
Electroless nickel is mainly used on fittings, valves, hydraulics, parts for electric motors, sprockets and transmission and pump parts.
Material:
Steel, iron, copper, brass, cast iron, aluminium, stainless steel and sintered parts.
References:
ISO 4527
Combination coating:
Electroless nickel can be combined with most other coatings, providing not only corrosion protection but also other advantages, such as good contact properties with gold or silver or good soldering properties when coated with tin.
Suitability:
- Electroless nickel is electrically conductive
- Good corrosion protection depending on type and layer thickness
- The hardness varies with the selected type of coating from approximately 475 to 800 Vickers. The hardness can be increased with heat treatment.
Dimensions:
Aluminium: L x W x D 550mm x 250mm x 550mm
Other materials: L x W x D 800mm x 500mm X 900mm
We also offer solutions suitable for larger items. Contact us for more information.
More about electroless nickel
Electroless nickel is usually a term for coating with a nickel-phosphorus alloy. The coating process takes place through an autocatalytic chemical reduction of nickel ions to metallic nickel, as opposed to a traditional electrolytic nickel plating, where the reduction takes place using an external power source.
The plating process happens independently of electric fields and can therefore be carried out uniformly over the entire geometry of the item (in an electrolytic plating process, the distribution of the nickel layer depends on the electric field).
The coating can thus be uniformly applied to even complex objects (e.g. internal parts where the electric field is very weak). The only condition is that a liquid flow can be created.
Electroless nickel is available as low-phosphorus with 1-3% P, medium/low-phosphorus with 4-6% P, medium-phosphorus with 7-9% P, and high-phosphorus with 10-12% P.
Low phosphorus content provides a hard coating that is magnetic, wear-resistant, and exhibits good corrosion resistance in alkaline environments.
High phosphorus content provides a more ductile coating that exhibits good corrosion resistance in neutral and acidic environments.
The most common and least expensive coating is medium phosphorus, which exhibits properties that are a compromise between the low and high phosphorus variants.
Product overview
Contact us regarding electroless nickel and find out how we can help you
We help you find the right solutions within surface treatment. Contact us to find out more about how we can optimize your process and deliver a result that matches your requirements.
Write an email to info@chemtec.dk or call us at +45 75 67 92 92.
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