Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

finishing.com -- The Home Page of the Finishing Industry

The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing since 1989
-----

Black spot observed on electroless nickel plated steel

Q. We are facing the problem of black spot observed after Electroless nickel plating on Mild steel components.
What will be the reason and what will be the solution?

Mahendra Ahire
- India Maharashtra pune
August 5, 2019

A. Hi Mahendra. Every possible defect has multiple possible causes, so answers offered before any data has been supplied can be like shooting off a scattergun and suggesting that you follow each pellet as a possibility.

Instead, please give us some basic data: do these black spots appear on every piece you produce and they always have and they uniformly cover the articles? ... or can you tell us that they recently started, or effect only one particular component, or only one specific area, etc.? Have you examined the components before plating and assured yourself that they are free of pits and problems?

"Trouble in Your Tank: Handbook for Solving plating Problems"
by Larry Durney
durneyT

on Amazon

(currently UTL
on AbeBooks & eBay)

(affil links)

Is this a commercial electroless nickel plating bath from a recognized supplier, and have all parameters been rigorously checked and found to be within the range specified on technical data sheet? Larry Durney's caution is always make sure to "Obey the Letter of the Law" before attempting any troubleshooting.

Please send pics of the defect to mooney@finishing.com for posting here. A picture is worth a thousand words, especially when describing a defect. Thanks!

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
October 2019

(No "dead threads" here! If this page isn't currently on the Hotline your Q, A, or Comment will restore it)

Q, A, or Comment on THIS thread -or- Start a NEW Thread

Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories: