
Curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET

The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing 1989-2025

-----
Activating nickel sulphamate plating for a chrome flash
Q. I have run a test on nickel sulphamate plating on the inside diameter of MS cylinder material. After nickel sulphamate plating, the job was given a light cut in the grinding machine to ensure smooth surface preparation before proceeding with flash hard chrome plating in the same area plated with nickel sulphamate. There is a portion in the chrome plating that chipped off after doing a flash chrome plating. What is the necessary preparation to undertake before doing a flash chrome plating on nickel sulphamate plated steel. Does it require any etching?
Thanks.
- Al Quoz, Dubai, UAE
May 27, 2009
First of two simultaneous responses --
There are as many opinions on activating nickel as there are platers. It needs to be clean and your choice of acid activation. I would then give it a Woods Nickel strike, rinse well and immediately go into the chrome. Some platers will say to go into the chrome "hot" with a low voltage to prevent passivation.
James Watts- Navarre, Florida
May 28, 2009
Second of two simultaneous responses --
!-Degrease the Nickel plated surface .(Cathodic Electrocleaning)
2-Acid 20 % HCl or electroactivation (cyanide based)
3-Reverse Wood Nickel Strike 15-30 sec
4-Forward Wood Nickel Strike 60-120 sec
4-Deep in Chrome Plating Solution (Voltage must be on at 2 Volt)you may electrolize at 2 Volt the part during 1-2 min.
5-Chrome Plate
Bnei Berak, Israel
May 29, 2009
July 2, 2009
Sir, thanks a lot for your contributions. It really helped a lot. I was able to do it perfectly. Appreciate it very much.
Thanks once again.
Darryl
- Dubai, UAE
Q, A, or Comment on THIS thread -or- Start a NEW Thread