A common way to electroplating uses an electric current. But did you know that there is a process called electroless nickel plating that uses not electricity but chemical bath? This article will discuss everything that you need to know about this procedure.
Plating processes of this kind relies on chemical reactions to perform the procedure. Through this, the nickel plates are deposited over thickness that is the same throughout all the other pieces, regardless of the shape. It has the capability to deposit these plates on surfaces of certain items such as plastics, nylon and rubber. This is a great advantage when using this kind of process over the usual kind.
Get to Know the Process
The process of passing electricity through the chemical reactions is the main component of this procedure. The method starts by placing a layer of the plated product depending on the thickness that are at first, non-uniform. The process of using electricity might leave some irregular portions and grooves that are not plated. The way it has been deposited will rely on the location of the anodes that are discharging these currents from the electrical source toward the solution and the shapes of the pieces.
On the other hand, this special process of using a chemical bath is different from the preparation stage up to the final stage. The quality of the final product will hugely depend on this step. Operators should first be certain that these pieces are free of contaminants, dirt and soil. If there are traces of these on the operators’ fingers, this can affect the results of the plating. To counter these effects, there is a need to pre-treat the place by performing a set of washing processes using caustic components that are designed to attend to the surfaces in a very efficient manner. People and individuals only need to make sure that after the pre-treatment processes, the pieces are rinsed with water and taken away from any residue from the chemical procedure. The final step involves an acid bath that will take away any instance of scaling on the product.
After this pre-treatment, the plates will be immersed in a chemical container that has the agents for reduction and nickel ions. This step will encourage the forming of nickel deposits over the plates. Be aware of any scratches and other elements on the piece because the method of electroless nickel plating tends to reproduce them. Text emblazoned or embedded over the plates will also be reproduced, so when you need to take things on a blank and clean slate, take note of this reminder.
The benefits of having plates taken from this process include protection against corrosion and rusting because this offers non-porous properties compared to electroplating.