Nickel plating is a common surface finishing technique used for many purposes. The process deposits a durable and reliable coating of nickel onto a metal or non-metallic substrate. Typical materials that receive nickel plating include steel, copper, molybdenum, alloys, ceramic, plastic and many more. The coating helps protect the substrate from corrosion and can also provide many other benefits.
Nickel plating is used for various reasons including:
-Solderability
-Wear resistance
-Corrosion resistance
-Household fixtures
-Tools
Nickel properties:
Thermal conductivity: 90 (W/mK)
Density: 8.9 (gm/cc)
CTE: 13.3 (ppm/deg C)
Nickel plating is less expensive than gold or precious metal plating but there is still an element of labor and setup involved. Pricing generally depends on the size and geometry of a part. A large part with blind holes and masking will be much more expensive than a small part with flat sides and no masking. Contact our sales office to talk about pricing: sales@intatech.com
Eless (or electroless) nickel refers to nickel boron and nickel phos. Cadmium is also a type of eless nickel, however INTA does not offer cadmium eless nickel. Eless nickel is appropriate for components with complex IDs and geometries because it leaves a more uniform deposit. Parts with blind holes may benefit from an eless treatment in comparison to electrolytic techniques. Eless nickel is much better than electrolytic nickel for corrosion resistance.
Varies depending on application. The designer must first decide what type of coating is needed and the purpose of the coating. Is the coating meant to inhibit corrosion? If so, what temperature and atmosphere will the item experience? A marine antenna housing might need a thick nickel phos coating whereas a small solder mount might need 200u Ni-B or Ni-S. Contact Blake Kneedler, Manufacturing Engineer 408-748-9955 x113 for details specific to your application.
ENB (electroless nickel boron) per AMS 2433 is the hardest nickel coating INTA offers. The next hardest is Ni-P (nickel phos) per MIL-C-26074. Nickel sulfamate (pure nickel) per QQ-N-290 is a bit softer than the two previously mentioned options. Hard coatings work well in applications requiring heavy wear, contact, mechanical abrasion or friction.
Nickel Teflon and pure nickel sulfamate per QQ-N-290 are two nickel coatings which are softer than ENB and Ni-P.
Typical lead time is five (5) business days. Expedite service is available in many cases for an additional charge. Expedite service can be as fast as same day although 2-3 days is more typical.
Yes, there are many options available besides nickel. Copper and silver are two popular alternatives. Contact INTA to discuss your application sales@intatech.com
.040 x .040 x .020
1mm x 1mm x .5mm
Largest items are 12 in length and 6 in diameter (all dimensions approximate).
Yes, this is routine for INTA, although more costly.
INTA inspects and tests components at incoming and outgoing. If problems are noticed at incoming the customer is informed right away. Our chemist Dr. Kris Sharma constantly maintains and checks the nickel plating bath. Coating thickness is documented by use of an XRF machine. AQL sampling standards apply. Material is packed to ensure safe delivery. For further details please contact Quality Manager, George Baltazar 408-748-9955 x123 or gbaltazar@intatech.com
Some projects take more time, particularly selective plating, complex projects and large items.
Nickel plating may adversely affect subsequent welding operations. Consult your welder before finalizing drawings and/or contact the American Welding Society (305-443-9353) for further information. Pure nickel may be acceptable, EN phos may not be a good choice.
Yes, nickel has an advantage in high temperature vacuum applications due to its high melting point.
Yes, if you need a pure nickel coating specify QQ-N-290.
Nickel plating thickness range:
0.1 micron 200 microns
4 microinches - .010
Typical range for many projects:
1-4 microns
50-200 microinches
INTA can maintain tight plating tolerances, the above data does not refer to a single part but rather a range of all specifications. A typical specification will call out a certain thickness as a minimum. XRF is used by INTA to verify the coating thickness. The maximum thickness depends on the type of nickel and other factors.
Yes.
1455 degrees Celsius
or
2651 degrees Fahrenheit
Yes.
[Ar]4s23d8
VIIIB
10
30 g/l Nickel chloride
10 g/l Sodium hypophosphite
100 g/l Sodium citrate
pH 8-9
Yes, see Mil-C-26074 for further details (http://assist.daps.dla.mil/quicksearch) or contact INTA.
Yes, not a problem.
58.7 amu
Yes.
Yes, not a problem. Contact Blake Kneedler, Manufacturing Engineer blake@intatech.com or 408-748-9955 x113 for further details.
8.902 g/cm^3
Yes, most nickel coatings offer good corrosion resistance but nickel-phos offers the best among the nickels INTA offers.
2913 deg Celsius
or
5275.4 deg Fahrenheit
28
It depends on what type of solder will be used but it works well in many cases. Nickel boron works very well for many soldering applications.
Metal Finishing Magazine
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Finishing Today Magazine
Nickel plating information
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Last revised: 23 SEP 2008
