Features and Benefits of Electroless Nickel Plating


The process of adding an electrolessnickel plating to a metal surface is an autocatalytic chemical reduction. This means that instead of using an outside source of electricity like in the similar electroplating process, the electroless plating process uses a chemical bath to deposit a nickel / phosphorous layer onto the metallic surface. A surface coated in electroless nickel can even be used on non-conductive surfaces which allows for plating of a wider variety of base materials. This electroless process greatly improves the objects resistance to galling and leaves a predictable, uniform nickel coating for high-precision parts, which can be applied to both ferrous and non-ferrous surfaces of any geometry or intricate shape.

Components used in industrial applications often encounter punishing conditions
Electro-Coatings provides five different types of electroless plating, and though they are mainly dependent on the amount of phosphorus present in the chemical bath, they each provide unique on-the-job performance advantages.

These unique advantages include wear/corrosion resistance, friction resistance, and the uniformity of the coating. Below are some more advantages EN plating provides:

Electroless nickel plating is less porous than electroplated nickel and provides a barrier of corrosion protection to steel. It can be applied with zero or little compressive stress making it gentle in application.

No electricity is required for ENP, making it a more accurate and efficient and cost-effective coating process. It can be completed with less equipment and fewer coats than electroplating to create a stronger, high-quality finish.

Electroless nickel plating provides a large flexibility of thickness and volume of the plating on metal services can easily fill recesses or pits in the metal services. This allows for a wider variety of industrial parts that can be finished with a uniform surface, including oil field valves, valve pumps, drive shafts, electrical/mechanical tools and engineering equipment.

Electroless nickel plating are used to provide protection from wear and abrasion, resistance against corrosion, and add hardness to parts of all conditions. It’s commonly used in coatings applications in engineering, aerospace, oil and gas, construction, electronics and several others.

Common uses of ENP
The most commonly used type of electroless nickel contains medium levels of phosphorus, also called MPEN. MPEN contains anywhere from 5% and 9% phosphorus. Processes using this type of EN have high-speed deposit rates as well as bright and semi bright options. Low phosphorus electroless nickel (under 5% phosphorus) provides parts and configurations with uniform thickness on the inside to eliminate grinding after plating has been completed as well as alkaline corrosion resistance. Electroless nickel with highest amounts of phosphorus – anywhere from 10% to 13% - are used in oil drilling and coal mining and other applications where a high level of corrosion resistance is needed for protection against highly corrosive acids.

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