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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
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Plating onto an assembly of aluminum and steel
November 7, 2013
Q. Hi,
I have a customer that needs an aluminum tray with steel clench nuts and steel studs attached zinc nickel plated. Does have any experience on how to activate these 2 metals together for plating?
- USA
A. Hi. I haven't done it, and electroless nickel is expensive if the "tray" is large, but mild cleaning, minimal desmut, zincate (single, not double -- you don't want to put steel into nitric acid), and alkaline electroless nickel strike might work. You can follow the EN with zinc-nickel plating.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
November 2013
A. Clean, Rinse, Deox in 8 oz/gal Ferric sulphate room temp, rinse, hang in the ALKALINE zinc nickel tank with the current OFF, after 45 seconds slowly turn on and up the rectifier, spend 15 minutes getting up to the recommended current density. The alkaline zinc-nickel will act as the "zincate" and cover the aluminum with a thin immersion, then you can start the electroplating to thickness.
Robert H Probert
Robert H Probert Technical Services
Garner, North Carolina
November 8, 2013
Very interesting, Robert. Thanks!
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
November 2013
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