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Chipped Nickel Plate on Stainless Steel

I recently had some 15-5PH stainless steel parts NIckel Plated per AMS2404, Class 1 and had most of the plating chipping off. Are there any special concerns for plating this type of stainless or would there just be a suspected cleanliness issue here?

DArryl Nicolay
Eng. Manager/Aerospace - Chicago, Illinois
2004
publicly reply to DArryl Nicolay

I have never plated it, but do not see it presenting any particular problem if the correct plating cycle is followed. Sounds like they did not use a strike, or used a poor one or let the strike passivate before they got it in the nickel tank. Of course, this is all a guess as the plating cycle that was actually used was not given, or the tank analysis or the time between tanks or having the part to examine.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2004
publicly reply to James Watts

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You do not say how you clean parts and this definitely could be the case, but it also could be problems with activation.

Dina Borysenko
Electrochemical Products Inc.

New Berlin, Wisconsin

2004
publicly reply to Dina Borysenko

The parts were cleaned in an aqueous bath and baked prior to plating. The plating did not appear chipped immediately. The hardware had been through further stages of assembly before exhibiting the plating issues.

Darryl Nicolay
- Chicago
2004
publicly reply to Darryl Nicolay

Just to agree with what was posted above you need a nickel strike to plate on stainless steel prior to you bright nickel plate.

Jason Deible
Plating - Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
2004
publicly reply to Jason Deible

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I am trying to find the latest procedure for plating stainless, and cannot find a recipe for a strike. The stainless I am trying to plate is of a low grade (magnetic).

Thanks,

Keith Borgnet
Electroplating - Alice Springs, NT, Australia.
2004
publicly reply to Keith Borgnet

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2004

I know you want the latest, Keith, but it really hasn't changed in 30 years or more. A Wood's Nickel Strike is what you probably need. The formula is on this site in response to many letters, and is in all the plating textbooks. It's just nickel chloride and a lot of HCl.

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

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SeeASTM B254 Standard Practice for Preparation of and Electroplating on Stainless Steel. It gives cleaning, descaling, activation and strike plating solutions and procedures.

Ken Vlach [deceased]
- Goleta, California
Finishing.com honored Ken for his countless carefully researched responses. He passed away May 14, 2015.
Rest in peace, Ken. Thank you for your hard work which the finishing world, and we at finishing.com, continue to benefit from.
2004
publicly reply to Ken Vlach