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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

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Electroless Nickel is Staining!

We are a small shop and have just introduced an electroless nickel line. The problem we are having is that in plating leaded steel (alloy 12L14) we are getting a delayed tarnish/stain that appears to be coming from the racked hole. Does anyone happen to know what is causing this and how to prevent it? Thanks for any insight you are able to give us.

Katherine Carr
Metal Finishers - Lilburn, Georgia USA
2000

No one can tell with out seeing the process and the part.

A high probability is process chemicals leaking out of the hole during or after the plating tank step.

Flush out the hole with a lab squirt bottle after the first post plate rinse and see if it goes away.

Plug the hole if possible. If not, dunk the racked parts in a clean rinse tank several times. This will fill the hole with water and reduce the amount of chemicals in the hole.

Increase the agitation in the post plate rinse tanks.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2000

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