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  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Electroless Nickel Plating of Ball Valves

1996

I am currently plating mild steel and stainless steel ball valves 12" diameter and larger.

I am depositing 0.003"( 3 mil ), deposit and am experiencing problems with sediment on upper surfaces. My filtration is adequate for normal articles but the finish requirements are stricter for ball valves

Does any one know of different techniques to cure or improve this problems? I am willing to share technical info on other applications, U. K. markets, etc.

Regards

D Williams

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Mr. Williams:

We also are involved in plating for a local ball valve manufacturer and have 22 years of experience with this problem. During this time we have eliminated several major factors which contribute to the roughness problem. We are successfully plating balls which have been honed with about a 98% acceptance. Our customer normally allows a small amount of sanding in non-seal areas.

I feel that in order to make any suggestions to you I would need to know more about several things; i.e.,how your customer finishes the balls and how you clean them, bath properties, and also something about the other parts you are plating.

One of the main things that we do is to transfer the plating bath to a tank that has been cleaned thoroughly with nitric acid. This transfer is made through a 1 micron filter. We also filter our bath through 1 micron filters.

Sincerely,

Phillip Juve
- Louisiana
1996

You can consider chemically formed ceramic coatings instead of electroless nickel for ball valves especially if the abrasion is too high like in handling fly ash, etc. These ceramic coatings are done for a number of ball valve manufacturers.

Bala Kailasshankar
- Greensboro, North Carolina
2004