Electroless Nickel Plating
The primary use for Electroless Nickel is used for corrosion and wear resistance, hardness, solderability & as an under-plate for other metals, providing the desired uniformity for many applications. As the name suggests, Electroless Nickel deposition does not require rectifiers, anodes or electrical current.
Electroless nickel provides uniform buildup on materials with complex shapes/geometry and across all external and internal surfaces.
AOTCO offers Low-, Medium- and High-Phosphorous Electroless Nickel coatings along with ROHS compliant applications, including Black Nickel.
Low-Phosphorus Electroless Nickel can be used to replace Chrome Plating in many cases.
Medium-Phosphorus Electroless Nickel is the standard and most common type for most applications
High-Phosphorous Electroless Nickel can be used to obtain mirror finishes by machining or grinding back some of the coating.
Benefits
- Excellent solderability
- Corrosion protection
- Excellent hardness / wear resistance
- Rockwell hardness of 47-53; can be hardened up to 72 with a heat treatment
- High uniformity of deposition, especially for complex parts
- Useful for salvaging mis-machined parts
Select Applications / Industries
- Electronics
- Defense
- Aerospace
- Medical
- Telecommunications
- Optical
Physical Properties / Specs
- Coating Thickness:
- For Aluminum-based alloys: minimum of .001 inches
- For Copper, Nickel, Cobalt, Titanium and Beryllium alloys: minimum of .0005 inches
- For Iron-based alloys: minimum of .0015 inches
- Aesthetic Appearance:
- Similar to stainless steel
Substrates
- Ferrous: All ferrous alloys including many Steel alloys
- Cuprous: Pure Copper and all cuprous alloys including Copper Molybdenum, Copper Beryllium (BeCu), Copper Tellurium (TeCu), Brass & more
- All Aluminum Alloys Including Wrought, Cast and Proprietary Alloys (MIC-6)
- Exotics & Others: Inconel, Kovar, Monel, Tellurium, Magnesium, Nickel, Lead & more
Underplates
- Copper
- Electrolytic Nickel
- Electroless Nickel
- Silver
- Tin
- Lead
Pre-Treatments Available
- Mechanical Cleaning
- Custom Masking
- Chemical Films
Post-Treatments Available
- Laser Marking
- Engraving
- Chemical Films
- Hydrogen Embrittlement Stress Relief
Types & Grades
- Low-Phosphorus nickel (2% – 5% phosphorus)
- Medium-Phosphorus nickel (6% – 9% phosphorus)
- High-Phosphorus nickel (10% – 13% phosphorus)
- Black nickel
Specs & Certifications
- ASTM B733 --- NADCAP Approved, ROHS Compliant
- AMS 2404
- AMS 2405 --- NADCAP Approved, ROHS Compliant
- AMS-C-26074 --- NADCAP Approved, ROHS Compliant
- MIL-C-26074 --- NADCAP Approved, ROHS Compliant
- Various company specifications
Contact Us
Depending on your end goals one of AOTCO’s Electroless Nickel processes could be an excellent option for your surface finishing needs. If you have a unique part, specialized needs or simply want to work with the best, please reach out and let us know how we can help you achieve the results you need.
