Overview
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Read this article from a comprehensive knowledge base, updated and supplemented with articles reviewed by scientific committees.
Read the articleAUTHORS
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Patrick BENABEN: Doctor Engineer - Head of Surface Treatment Department - École nationale supérieure des mines de Saint-Étienne
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Frédéric DURUT: Doctor - Nuclear Materials Research DepartmentValduc Atomic Study Center
INTRODUCTION
Electrolytic nickel coatings, produced by electrolysis of aqueous solutions of different types of salts, depending on the application and the characteristics of the coatings to be produced, represent a major industrial activity: consumption of electrolytic nickel far exceeds that of the other metals traditionally used industrially for other types of electrolytic coatings, such as copper, chromium, zinc, etc.
Nickel plating combined with chromium plating is the most common surface coating used to maintain the decorative appearance of plated parts. Since the development of bright nickel plating baths, nickel is also widely used directly, without mechanical polishing, as an undercoat in combination with chromium for a variety of applications: furniture, plumbing, decoration, automotive, sporting goods, etc. Although its reflections are different from those of electroplated chromium (detectable by trained eyes), a similarity in appearance also favors its use as an undercoat to compensate for any defects that may occur during decorative chromium plating or that may appear during use.
Along with other more noble metals (palladium, rhodium, platinum or gold), it was widely used in jewelry until it was suspected of causing health problems. Its prohibition as an undercoat makes it necessary to develop alternative processes, and studies are currently underway.
Other applications for nickel deposits, always as a sub-layer, are in the field of connectors, where it is used as a base for deposits of metals such as gold, in particular to avoid diffusion into the substrate and for cost reasons.
Finally, electrolytic nickel is used in very thick deposits (several hundred micrometers) in electroforming, for mold making, for example, or in hardfacing to restore the dimensions of certain parts, in addition to or in parallel with thermal spraying or welding methods.
This first article covers the general principles of nickel plating, surface preparation and the structure, properties and applications of deposits. The implementation of electrochemical nickel plating is the subject of a second article.
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Electrolytic nickel plating. Specifications
References
Suppliers (products and/or materials)
(non-exhaustive list)
ATOTECH France
AMPERE INDUSTRIE
BAYER SA
CAPOL Processes
CHAMPOISEAU SA
CORELEC (Sté)
COVENTYA SAS
ELECTRO FINISH (Company)
ENGELHARD CLAL
...
French organizations
CEFRACOR: French Anticorrosion Centre
C.E.M.: Cercle d'Études des Métaux (Metal Study Circle)
CETIM: Technical Center for Mechanical Industries
IFETS: Institut Français de l'Environnement et des Traitements de Surface (French Institute for the Environment and Surface Treatments)
S.A.T.S.: Syndicat National des Entreprises...
Standardization
Association française de normalisation AFNOR
- Méthodes d'essai de corrosion des revêtements métalliques et inorganiques sur substrats métalliques. Cotation des éprouvettes et des articles manufacturés soumis aux essais de corrosion (NF A91-023). - NF EN ISO 10289 - Avr. 2001
- Metal corrosion protection – Electrolytic coatings of nickel, nickel plus chromium, copper plus nickel and copper plus nickel plus chromium...
Regulations
At the time of writing, the use of nickel solutions and their release into the environment in surface treatment plants are subject to the regulations set out in the decree of September 26, 1985 (published in the Journal Officiel of November 16, 1985). This decree defines the maximum permissible concentration of various constituents, such as metal ions (chromium, copper, iron, zinc, cadmium, etc.) and other components (cyanides,...
Websites
To find out more about the toxicity of nickel and the measures to take to protect against the risks associated with the use of nickel and its salts, we recommend that you visit the INRS website. http://www.inrs.fr
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