Electroless Nickel Plating For Longer Wear & Corrosion Resistance

What Is Electroless Nickel?

As the process name implies, an Electroless Nickel deposit is not the result of a standard electroplating process, but rather the result of a chemical reaction that deposits a coating of Nickel and Phosphorous on this surface.

An Autocatalytic Chemical Reaction

The reaction is autocatalytic: once it starts, the presence of nickel acts as a catalyst to keep the reaction going. Deposit thicknesses can range from a few microns to 100 microns.

Typical Uses Of Electroless Nickel By Industry

  • Electronics Industry

    Most media storage disks in computers are made of Aluminum and plated with Electroless Nickel. Many other components such as on connectors also find electroless nickel to be a very useful finish.

  • Automotive Industry

    As an undercoat on many decorative trim pieces that are made out of Aluminum (subsequently Cr plated). Also used for wear resistance on brake components and gears in response to the need for longer warranties.

  • Oil Industry & Gas Industry

    Primarily used for corrosion resistance, although wearability is also a consideration. Valve components, pumps and pipe fittings are typically electroless nickel plated.

  • Chemical Processing Industry

    Used for mixing blades, pumps, etc.

  • General Industry

    Equipment components of all types.

Phosphorous Content Categories

Electroless Nickel deposits are divided into three categories, based upon Phosphorous content.

  • Low Phosphorous 1-3%
  • Medium Phosphorous 4-9%
  • High Phosphorous 10-13%
Hi-Tech offers Medium Phosphorous content Electroless Nickel.

Unique Properties Of Electroless Nickel Deposits

  • Because the deposit is the result of a chemical reaction, uniform deposits are obtained over all surfaces.
  • The Phosphorous content makes the deposit somewhat self-lubricating.
  • As a general statement, the lower the Phosphorous content, the higher the as-deposited hardness. However, the lower the Phosphorous content, the lower the corrosion resistance.
  • All Electroless Nickel coatings can be hardened by heat treatment after deposition. Nickel Phosphide forms through a process known as precipitation hardening.

Our Specialization: Plating Electroless Nickel On Aluminum

Hi-Tech Plating specializes in plating Electroless Nickel on Aluminum. Medium Phosphorous deposits are utilized to impart wear and corrosion resistance to the Aluminum for the electronics, aerospace and medical industries. 

Electroless Nickel Specifications

Hi-Tech Plating specializes in the MIL-C-26074 electroless nickel plating process as well as AMS-2404, AMS-C-26074, and ASTM B-733, ensuring the highest quality results.

RoHS Compliance

Hi-Tech Plating runs RoHS compliant cadmium and lead-free Electroless Nickel.

Put Our Expertise To Work For You

Contact Hi-Tech Plating today and put our expertise to work for you today.