Electroless Ni-P plating on Mg-Li alloy by two-step method

Pretreated Mg-Li alloy sheets were pre-plated in a NiCO3？2Ni（OH）2？4H2O solution to form a thin Ni-P alloy film and then plating in a NiSO4？6H2O solution was carried out to obtain a protective coating.The surface morphology,structure and corrosion resistance of the coating were studied.The results showed that a flat,bright and compact plating layer,which was integrated into the matrix metal,was obtained.The P content of the Ni-P coating reached 13.56%（mass fraction）.The hardness value of the Ni-P coating was about HV 549.The polarization curve showed that the corrosion potential of the Ni-P coating reached ？0.249 V（vs SCE）.A long passivation region was found on the polarization curve,and this phenomenon indicated that the coating has an excellent anti-corrosion property.

Electroless plating and growth kinetics of Ni-P alloy film on SiC_p/Al composite with high SiC volume fraction

After Sn/Pd activating, the SiCp/Al composite with 65% SiC (volume fraction) was coated by electroless Ni?P alloy plating. Surface morphology of the composite and its effect on the Ni?P alloy depositing process and bonding action of Ni and P atoms in the Ni?P alloy were studied. The results show that inhomogeneous distribution of the Sn/Pd activating points results in preferential deposition of the Ni?P alloy particles on the Al alloy and rough SiC particle surfaces and in the etched caves. The Ni?P alloy film has an amorphous structure where chemical bonding between Ni and P atoms exists. After a continuous Ni?P alloy film formed, electroless Ni?P alloy plating is not affected by surface morphology and characteristics of the SiCp/Al composite any longer, but by the electroless plating process itself. The Ni?P alloy film follows linear growth kinetics with an activation energy of 68.44 kJ/mol.

Study of Electroless Ni-P-CNTs Composite Plating

The electroless Ni-P-carbon nanotubes composite plating was studied on the copper substrate. Metallurgical microscope, scanning electronic microscope, X-ray diffractometer and micro hardness tester were used to study the structure, constitution and performance of the electroless Ni-P-carbon nanotubes composite deposit. Experiential results show that, with the increment of carbon nanotubes content in electroless plating solution, the grain size on the sample surface decreases whereas the density of grains and the hardness for composite deposit increases. Moreover, adding carbon nanotubes not only improves the degree of crystallization for the composite deposit but also helps their transformation from the amorphous state to the nanocrystal state.

Evaluation of residual stress and corrosion behaviour of electroless plated Ni-P/Ni-Mo-P coatings

Single Ni-P and Ni-Mo-P coatings as well as duplex Ni-P/Ni-Mo-P coatings with the same compositions were prepared by electroless plating.The residual stresses of the coatings on the surface and cross sections were measured by nanoindentation and AFM analysis,and the corrosion behaviour of the coatings in10%HCl solution was evaluated by electrochemical methods,to establish the correlation between the residual stresses and corrosion behaviour of the coatings.The results showed that the single Ni-P and duplex Ni-P/Ni-Mo-P coatings presented residual compressive stresses of241and206MPa respectively,while the single Ni-Mo-P coating exhibited a residual tensile stress of257MPa.The residual compressive stress impeded the growth of the pre-existing porosity in the coatings,protecting the integrity of the coating.The duplex Ni-P/Ni-Mo-P coatings had better corrosion resistance than their respective single coating.In addition,the stress states affect the corrosive form of coatings.

Wear and Corrosion Resistance of Electroless Plating Ni-P Coating on P110 Steel

In order to improve the surface performance and increase the lifetime of P 110 oil casing tube steel during operation, electroless plating was conducted to form Ni-P coating onto its surface. The surface morphology/element distribution and phase constitution of the Ni-P coating were analyzed using scanning electron microscope （SEM） equipped with energy dispersive spectrometry （EDS） and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. Tribological and electrochemical measurement tests were applied to investigate the wear and corrosion resistance of P110 steel and the Ni-P coating. The results showed that a uniform and compact, high phosphorous Ni-P coating was formed. The obtained Ni-P coating indicated certain friction-reduction effect and lower mass loss during friction-wear tests. The Ni-P coating also exhibited higher corrosion resistance in comparison with bared P 110 steel. The obtained N i-P coating has significantly improved the surface performance of P110 steel.

Effects of Sn residue on the high temperature stability of the H_2-permeable palladium membranes prepared by electroless plating on Al_2O_3 substrate after SnCl_2–PdCl_2 process: A case study

The stability of composite palladium membranes is of key importance for their application in hydrogen energy systems. Most of these membranes are prepared by electroless plating, and beforehand the substrate surface is activated by a SnCl_2–PdCl_2 process, but this process leads to a residue of Sn, which has been reported to be harmful to the membrane stability. In this work, the Pd/Al_2O_3 membranes were prepared by electroless plating after the SnCl_2–PdCl_2 process. The amount of Sn residue was adjusted by the SnCl_2 concentration, activation times and additional Sn(OH)_2coating. The surface morphology, cross-sectional structure and elemental composition were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), metallography and energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS), respectively. Hydrogen permeation stability of the prepared palladium membranes were tested at450–600 °C for 400 h. It was found that the higher SnCl_2 concentration and activation times enlarged the Sn residue amount and led to a lower initial selectivity but a better membrane stability. Moreover, the additional Sn(OH)_2coating on the Al_2O_3 substrate surface also greatly improved the membrane selectivity and stability.Therefore, it can be concluded that the Sn residue from the SnCl_2–PdCl_2 process cannot be a main factor for the stability of the composite palladium membranes at high temperatures.

Electrochemical behavior of Cu-Zn-Al shape memory alloy after surface modification by electroless plated Ni-P

The electrochemical behavior of Cu-Zn-Al shape memory alloy (SMA) with andwithout electroless plated Ni-P was investigated by electrochemical methods, in artificial Tyrode'ssolution. The results showed that Cu-Zn-Al SMA engendered dezincification corrosion in Tyrode'ssolution. The anodic active current densities as well as electrochemical dissolution sensitivity ofthe electroless plated Ni-P Cu-Zn-Al SMA increased with NaCl concentration rising, pH of solutiondecreasing and environmental temperature uprising. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that aftersurface modification by electroless plated Ni-P, an amorphous plated film formed on the surface ofCu-Zn-Al SMA. This film can effectively isolate matrix metal from corrosion media and significantlyimprove the electrochemical property of Cu-Zn-Al SMA in artificial Tyrode's solution.

Electroless Plating of Palladium Membranes on Porous Substrates for Hydrogen Separation and the Effects of Process Factors on Plating Rate and Efficiency: A Review

The electroless plating of palladium and palladium alloy membranes is fast becoming an important and enabling technology. This is more so when juxtaposed with the rising demand for high purity hydrogen for applications particularly in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). The effect of process factors such as sensitization and activation during surface modification, concentration of the reducing agent, plating temperature, time, pH, additives, air aeration on plating efficiency, quality of the palladium film and deposit morphology is reviewed with the aim of identifying areas requiring further investigation. The paper also reviews how these process factors could be optimised for better plating efficiency and overall membrane quality. The concentration of the reducing agent has been identified as the limiting factor on plating efficiency albeit other process factors separately impact on the plating efficiency. Furthermore, bulk precipitation caused by concentration of the reducing agent has been identified as a major problem during electroless plating with hydrazine based plating baths. To ameliorate this problem, a multi step addition of the hydrazine reducer in separate portions has been recommended.

Investigation on a Non-cyanide Plating Process of Ni-P Coating on Magnesium Alloy AZ91D

In this research we presented a non-cyanide plating process of Ni-P alloy coating on Mg alloy AZ91D. By applying a new process flow of electroless nickel plating in which zinc coating is used as transition of Ni-P coating on Mg alloy AZ91D, the process of copper transition coating plated in the cyanides bath can be replaced. A new bath composed of NiSO4 was established by orthogonal test. The results show that zinc transition coating can increase the adhesion and protect the Mg alloy substrate from the bath corrosion. The optimal plating bath composition is NiSO4·6H2O 20 g/L, NaH2PO2·H2O20g/L and C6H8O7·H2O 2.5 g/L, and optimal bath acidity and optimal plating temperature are pH 4.0 and 95℃, respectively. The present process flow is composed of ultrasonic cleaning→alkaline cleaning→acid pickling→activation→double immersing zinc→electroplating zinc→electroless nickel plating→passivation treatment. The present non-cyanide process of electroless nickel plating is harmless to our surroundings and Ni-P coating on Mg alloy AZ91D produced by present process possesses good adhesion and corrosion resistance.

The Studies of Composite Electroless Plating Process on Sintering Ndfeb Permanent Magnet

A reasonable pre-treatment and an ultrasonic pre-plating Cu film were applied for sintering NdFeB permanent magnet. The samples were then plated in neutral bath (PH=7) for 40min and in acidic bath (PH=4.8～5.1) for 2h. A composite electroless plating with different phosphor content was obtained. The results show that the composite plating coatings are dense and have a strong bond with the substrate, which contribute to the excellent corrosion resistance of the plating coating.

Additive Fine-Line Circuit Process through Catalyst Induced Copper Electroless Plating

To response the demand for fine line in electronic products,additive manufacturing process integrated printing techniques and deposited methods to reach fine line circuit,with the merits of reduced material wastage,low fabrication costs,and mass production advantage capability.Recently,we have developed additive process in fabricating circuit on flexible substrate through catalyst induced copper electroless deposition(ELD)method.The additive processes that integrated printing,activation,and metallization were applied to produce fine-line circuit with 5μm line width.The sample with ultraviolet(UV)activation shows better conductive property in comparison with the sample without activation after electroless deposited process.Accordingly,the results indicated that the reaction of catalyst induced electroless copper plating strongly depends on UV activation.The fine-line circuit exhibits a narrow line width circuit(around 5μm),lower resistance(6.2μΩ·cm),and mass production with low pollution in comparison with lithographic processes(with photoresist and acid pollution)with a high throughput system(R2R system)for the applications of double side flexible printed circuit board(FPCB).

Characteristics of microstructure and performance of laser-treated electroless Ni-P/Ni-W-P duplex coatings

Characteristics of microstructures of electroless Ni-P/Ni-W-P duplex coatings were investigated using SEM/EDX and XRD analysis techniques. Microhardness and wear behaviour of the coatings before and after laser crystallization were evaluated by measurements of hardnesses of coating surface and cross-section, and by unlubricated friction and wear experiments. The results indicate that it is possible to prepare electroless Ni-P/Ni-W-P duplex coatings by sequential immersion in two different plating baths. After laser crystallization, the microstructures of electroless Ni-P/Ni-W-P duplex coatings present the characteristics of higher degree of crystallization and larger grain size for outer layer Ni-W-P than inner Ni-P, but outer layer has a higher hardness. The wear resistance of laser-treated duplex coatings in a given process parameter conditions is superior to the as-plated ones. Laser treatment was performed directly in air without argon protection, which provides the possibility for application of industrialized production.

Progress of electroplating and electroless plating on magnesium alloy

The current research processes of electroplating and electroless Ni-P alloy plating on magnesium alloys were reviewed. Theoretically,the reason for difficulties in electroplating and electroless plating on magnesium alloys was given.The zinc immersion, copper immersion,direct electroless Ni-P alloy plating and electroplating and electroless plating on magnesium alloys prepared by chemical conversion coating were presented in detail.Especially,the research development of magnesium alloy AZ91 and AZ31 was discussed briefly.Based on the analysis,the existing problems and future research directions were then given.

Pretreatment-free Ni-P plating on magnesium alloy at low temperatures

Electrochemically promoted electroless plating(EPEP)was used for the application of pretreatment-free Ni-P coating on AM60B magnesium alloy at low temperatures and the obtained coating was characterized by SEM,AFM,EDS and XRD techniques.Compact,uniform,and medium-phosphorus Ni-P coating with mixed crystalline-amorphous microstructure was obtained by applying a cathodic current density of4mA/cm^2at50℃.Also,island-like nickel clusters were deposited on the alloy surface under the same plating condition but without applying the cathodic current.In addition,the durability of the magnesium alloy against corrosion was strongly improved after plating via EPEP technique which was revealed by electrochemical examinations in3.5%NaCl(mass fraction)corrosive electrolyte.The results of the electrochemical examinations were confirmed by microscopic observations.Thickness,microhardness,porosity and adhesive strength of the deposits were also qualified.

Effect of additives on nickel-phosphorus deposition obtained by electroless plating:Characterization and corrosion resistance in 3%(mass)sodium chloride medium

Nichel-phosphorus(Ni-P)coatings are deposited on mild steel by using an electroless plating process.The effect of three calix[4]arene derivatives,namely tetra methyl ester-P-tertbutyl calix[4]arene(Calix1),tetra acid-P-tert-butyl calix[4]arene(Calix2)and tetra methyl P-tert-butyl-thicalix[4]arene ester(Calix3)on the deposition rate,the deposit composition,and the morphological surface was investigated and the study of growth mechanisms has delivered useful information about the surface properties of deposit.It is found that these additives modify the deposition rate and the nickel crystallization process.In fact,the Calix1 and Calix3 act as an accelerator,while Calix2 acts as an inhibitor for the nickel electroless.Furthermore,it is shown that the chemical bath is more stable with calix[4]arene derivatives addition and the obtained deposits are compact and adherent.It is observed also that the nickel content increases with additives.On the other hand,the X-ray diffraction showed that the orientation peaks are intensified at{111}in the presence of Calix2,confirming obtained results of EDAX spectrum.The cyclic voltammetry revealed that the tested additives strongly influence the cathodic process and slightly affect the hypophosphite oxidation.Finally,it is found that these compounds improve the anticorrosion efficiency of Ni-P coating on the mild steel substrate in 3%(mass)NaCl,where its polarization resistance increases with Calix2 and Calix3 addition.

Electroless Plating of Ni Nanoparticles on WC to Assist Its Pressureless Sintering of WC-Ni Cemented Carbide with Enhanced Mechanical and Corrosion-resistant Performance

Ni nanoparticles were coated uniformly on the surface of WC powder via a facile electroless plating method(abbreviated as WCN-EP),and then consolidated for mechanical and corrosion resistance performance characterization,in comparison with hand mixed WC-Ni(WCN-H).Under the optimized electroless plating parameters,Ni particles,less than 1μm in average diameter,were found to be uniformly and densely wrapped on the surface of the tungsten carbide matrix of WCN-EP.In comparison,in WCN-H,the Ni particles about 1.8μm in average diameter,were randomly distributed together with irregular WC particles.The uniform coating of Ni was found to assist the densification process of WCN-EP effectively,with higher densities and less pores than those of WCN-H at the Ni content of 10.6wt%,25.5wt%,and 30.3 wt%.However,at the Ni content of 18.8wt%,the relative densities of WCN-EP and WCN-H both increased to the maximum value of 98%.The maximum hardness of the consolidated WCN-EP was 82.6 HRA,about 1.2 HRA higher than that of WCN-H.In addition,the consolidated WCN-EP also exhibits a superior corrosion resistance by the polarization curve analysis at an electrochemical workstation.

Preparation and tribological performances of Ni-P-multi-walled carbon nanotubes composite coatings

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes （MWNTs） were wet-milled in the presence of ammonia and cationic surfactant and then used as reinforcements to prepare Ni-P-MWNTs composite coatings by electroless plating. The tribological performances of the composite coatings under dry condition were investigated in comparison with 45 steel and conventional Ni-P coating, Micrographs show that short MWNTs with uniform length and open tips were obtained through the wet-milling process. The results of wear test reveal that the Ni-P-MWNTs composite coatings posses much better friction reduction and anti-wear performances when compared with 45 steel and Ni-P coating. Within the MWNTs content range of 0.74%-1.97%, the friction coefficient and the volume wear rate of the composite coatings decrease gradually and reach the minimum values of 0.08 and 6.22x10-15 m3/（N.m）, respectively. The excellent tribological performances of the composite coatings can be attributed to the introduction of MWNTs, which play both roles of reinforcements and solid lubricant during the wear process.

前处理工艺对铝基Ni-P化学镀层性能的影响

针对铝合金易产生晶间腐蚀、表面硬度低、不耐磨损等缺点,利用金相显微观察、扫描电镜能谱测定、增重法、热震网格实验和失重法,以镀速、镀层结合强度、显微硬度以及耐蚀性为考核指标,研究了以硫酸镍为主盐、以次磷酸钠为还原剂、以焦磷酸钠为络合剂的预化学镀镍磷合金过程的工艺参数以及预化学镀和活化时间对镀层性能的影响。研究结果表明,所获得的活化-预化学镀镍磷合金前处理新工艺可显著提高镀层与基体的结合强度和沉积速率,同时得到的镀层组织结构致密均匀、硬度好、耐蚀性优良。

铝合金化学镀Ni-P前处理工艺条件的优化

化学镀Ni-P可以改善铝合金易产生晶间腐蚀、表面硬度低、不耐磨损等缺陷,欲使镀层与铝合金基体具有很好的结合力,前处理工艺则显得尤为重要。采用正交试验,用极差法分析了活化和预镀镍各工艺参数对后续化学镀Ni-P镀速影响的主次顺序,确定了活化和预镀镍镀液的最佳配方及各工艺条件,并利用金相显微镜、扫描电镜能谱、增重法、热震实验和失重法等测试了采用最佳活化、预镀镍工艺所得镀层的形貌和性能,结果表明:所确定的活化、预化学镀镍前处理工艺可显著提高镀层的硬度、沉积速率及其与基体的结合强度,镀层组织致密均匀,耐蚀性优良。

化学镀Ni-P工艺对镀层结构和性能的影响

研究了化学镀Ni P镀层时的施镀温度、pH值等工艺参数对Ni P合金镀层结构状态、P含量和耐盐雾腐蚀性能的影响 ,指出优选和控制工艺参数是保证镀层质量的关键。