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  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Watts vs Sulphamate Nickel Plating

Can someone please provide a comparison of Watts versus Sulphamate nickel plating. Which is better and why? I've heard that Sulphamate plating is less susceptible to flaking. Is this true? Much appreciated.

Carl Brown
- Toronto, Canada
2002

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Hi, Carl. That one was already asked and answered if only we can find it :-)
... ah, there it is, Ltr. No. 18397.

Let us know if there are additional quetions.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2003

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Sulfamate Nickel is used to gain lower deposit stress. Normally it can be held around 3000 to 5000 psi tensile, but with additives can be made compressive low stress. With impurity abuse it goes up past 100000 and on towards 150000.

Come back to us with more details, what kinds of parts, what functional requirements, ductility, stress, hardness, etc...

Robert H Probert
Robert H Probert Technical Services

Garner, North Carolina

2003

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March 21, 2011

Hi there!

I work in hydraulic and I have a cylinder rod that I need to be Sulfamate Nickel Chrome plated. I received a proposition from a shop that does nickel-chrome plating from a Watts bath.

Are these process similar? What are the main differences between a sulfamate bath and a Watts bath?

Thank you!

Nicolas Arnaud
Hydraulic cylinder - Ottawa, Canada

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Hi, Nicolas. We appended your inquiry to a thread that may answer it for you. My suspicion is that this application does not constitute a rigorous test of the advantages of one plating over the other, and that the Watts nickel will be fine. Obviously this is an opinion from a distance, and I can't attest to the abilities of an unknown plating shop. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
March 25, 2011