Electroless nickel

Electroless nickel plating is a process for the deposition of nickel with no use of external power source. The energy required for the deposition is provided by a chemical reducing agent are continuously added to the bath, including the nickel salts. 

Electroless nickel coating is deposited autocatalytic
The coating is deposited with uniform thickness regardless of geometric conditions and can in principle be precipitated in very thick layers (100 μm). Electroless nickel coating is deposited autocatalytic, which is to say that the precipitation rate of the bath is constant when properly guide the process.

Electroless nickel with phosphorus
Electroless nickel coating consisting of an alloy of nickel and phosphorus (about 10 % phosphorus). The content of phosphorus and coating quality is a function of bath chemistry, as well as the pretreatment selected for the basis material. Specific types of chemical nickel may be considered amorphous metals (metal glasses), the coating is microcrystalline. . The hardness is precipitated about 400 HV but can be hardened up to approx. 1000 HV.

Where to use chemical nickel coatings?
Chemical nickel coatings currently have a large potential application in electronics and appliance industry, mechanical engineering etc. 

In particular, electroless nickel coatings on various tool parts to counter wear and corrosion has been a great success and has, to a large extent, replaced hard chrome applications requiring maximum wear resistance and corrosion protection.

Electroless nickel coating on aluminum and brass is a new potential area where a good corrosion and wear protection of complex geometries.

An electroless nickel coating also allows soldering of aluminum and brass surfaces. Within the offshore sector has electroless nickel already for many years been of great importance in connection with the corrosion protection of oil valves and other components of the maritime environment.