Nickel Plating Techniques: A Comprehensive Guide
Nickel plating is one of the most common and versatile finishing techniques, coming in many different types from electrolytic to electroless, and incorporated with several other materials in order to create new types of plating that can achieve certain properties. Plating has become a popular way to add an aesthetic and protective surface finish to a wide variety of metal components, and has even become the standard finish for some industries.
What is metal plating?
Before we get into nickel specifically, let’s quickly examine what plating actually is. Metal plating is the process of subjecting a metal surface to a very precise chemical or electrochemical treatment. A certain type of metal, in the case of this blog post, nickel, is deposited onto a conductive surface by running an electric current through the chemical bath in which the parts are dipped. This results in a very thin layer of Nickel forming on the part’s surface, which will then protect the metal underneath from corrosion, abrasion, wear and tear, or other conditions.
The Different Techniques of Nickel Plating
Nickel is the basis for a wide range of plating treatments, coming in both electrolytic and electroless types, which can then be broken down into further categories. However, for our purposes, we’ll just be going over the basics of these two types of nickel plating.
Electrolytic Nickel Plating
Electrolytic nickel plating is one of the most common types of metal plating used around the world thanks to its versatility and overall material purity. The resulting deposited layer offers excellent uniformity in surface thickness, as well as lubricity and hardness. It’s generally one of the more cost effective options, depending on the end-use application of the part, and offers benefits such as superior adhesion, excellent corrosion resistance, and improved durability. Parts treated through electrolytic nickel plating can be found throughout many different automotive and aerospace applications.
Electroless Nickel Plating
Plating typically involves an electric current triggering the deposition of the metal. But electroless nickel plating can be performed without the use of that electric current. The parts to be plated are set to soak in a chemical solution that causes the reaction automatically instead, binding the nickel ions to the surface of the parts, and forming the resulting finish. While not as applicable for parts that require conductivity and heat resistance, electroless nickel plating offers a much more uniform deposit thickness and superior corrosion resistance. This type of nickel plating is excellent for high-stress applications in the Defense, Industrial, and Aerospace sectors due to its durability and ductility.
Other types of Plating that use Nickel
If you’ve been searching around for nickel plating services, you’ve likely heard of similar processes like zinc-nickel plating, or diffused nickel cadmium. While these aren’t strictly just nickel plating techniques, they do involve alloying nickel with another metal, like zinc or cadmium.
Zinc-Nickel Plating
Zinc-nickel plating was developed as a safer and environmentally friendlier alternative to cadmium plating, which was previously popular due to its high corrosion resistance. Zinc-Nickel is a sacrificial coating–the zinc in the surface finish will react with any corrosive elements in the environment before the nickel does. The remaining nickel continues to protect the metal underneath, providing significantly longer resistance than zinc plating alone.
Diffuse Nickel-Cadmium Plating
Nickel-cadmium plating combines electrodeposits of both these metals, and is typically used on parts with low complexity made from some type of steel. A nickel-cadmium plated part technically goes through two different plating processes–first, with nickel, and then cadmium. Then, the parts are oven-baked in order to diffuse the cadmium into the nickel later, hence its name.
About Reid Metal Finishing
Reid Metal Finishing is a leading supplier of a wide range of surface finishing treatments, including all four of the plating methods we’ve discussed above! We consistently set the bar for what a professional surface finish should be, and serve customers across several industries. Head over to our website to learn more about our service offerings and request a quote today.