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Advantages of Electroless Nickel

2005

SIR,
We are in the process of setting up a hard chrome plating plant. I came to know that Electroless Nickel is the future.

May any one of you please help me in leaning more about that.

Regards

K.T.Thesigan
surface finishers - Tamilnadu, India

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2005

Advantages of electroless nickel(EN) over hard chrome:
1) Total thickness uniformity (only dependent on supply of new solution to all surfaces all the time).
2) Better corrosion resistance (specially in presence of chlorides or hydrochloric acid/fumes).
3) No cracks (though some formulations present light porosity).
4) Less toxic compared to hexavalent hard chrome.
Disadvantages:
1) Not as hard (600HV without heat treatment up to 900HV with h.t. versus 950-1000HV of chrome).
2) More expensive (both deposition, bath control and waste treatment).
3) Need of special pretreatments for some base metals.
4) Less resistant in presence of strong oxidizing agents.

Guillermo Marrufo
Monterrey, NL, Mexico

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2005

To learn more about EN, get a copy of Wolfgang Riedel's book "Electroless Nickel Plating". It was published in 1991 by ASM International in the USA and Finishing Publications Ltd in the UK.

Ron Duncan [deceased]
- LaVergne, Tennessee
It is our sad duty to note Ron's passing on Dec. 15, 2006. A brief obituary opens Episode 13 of our Podcast.

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Hello Mr KT Thesign;

Have no fear of redundancy of hard chrome from Electroless Nickel. Both are different. Its like fearing rice will go out of style now that idlis are invented.

Khozem Vahaanwala
Saify Ind

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

2005

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2005

K.T. Thesigan,

I have found that Electroless Nickel has an advantage to chrome:

1.Coverage is better on parts with complexed configurations.
2.With stands alkaline cleaning better.
3.Cost less due to the setup of electrodes when applying chrome.

Best regards,

Darrell Elkins
- Elgin, Illinois, USA