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

Poor adhesion on Aluminum parts while doing Electroless Nickel Plating

DEAR SIR,

I am having electroless nickel plating job shop. I am doing plating on mild steel as well as Aluminium.

Till yesterday I do not have any problem to do electroless nickel plating on Aluminium. But yesterday in some parts of Aluminum SMALL AIR BUBBLES APPEARS ON JOB WHILE DOING Electroless nickel plating. In that region adhesion is very poor and plating is piling off from Aluminium parts. At the same part in other region adhesion is very good like normal plating. Please advise what will be the cause?

1. POOR PRE-TREATMENT.

2. LONG IMMERSION TIME IN ZINCATING BATH.

Nirav S. Mehta.
thermal spray - Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
2001

---

Dear Nirav:

Problem might also be inside the aluminum. Check with supplier of aluminum if he changed process or raw materials or chemical analysis. Obviously if the parts are sand cast (not made from rolled or clean injected aluminum) you might have a "no win" case.

Good luck,

Guillermo Marrufo
Monterrey, NL, Mexico
2001