Electroless Nickel Plating

APPLICATIONS

To varying degrees, Electroless Nickel (EN) Plating is used throughout all segments of a number of industries, either separately or in combination.Typical applications, with some examples, are:

• Petroleum & Chemical - This industry is the largest user of electroless nickel for corrosion protection. High Phosphorus coatings of 1 to 3 mils (25 to 75 um) thickness are commonly used to resist corrosion and erosion in aggressive brines, acids and gasses. Common applications include chokes, valves, mud pumps, blowout preventers, mud pumps, sucker rod and submergible pumps, pipe, heat exchangers and separators, packers, safety valves and all types of down hole tools.
• Medical & Pharmaceutical - EN is used on medical and pharmaceutical equipment because of the superior corrosion and wear resistance it provides. Although this equipment is so often subject to severe abuse, EN helps maintain reliability by providing almost complete resistance. It frequently allows steel or aluminum to be used instead of more expensive stainless steel. Common medical applications are scissors, suture needles, forceps, clamps, and hubs for disposable hypodermic needles. In the pharmaceutical industry, applications include pill sorters, filling equipment, and sizing screens.
• Printing and Textiles - The use of EN for cylinders and rolls used in printing and textile industries has increased over the last few years. The ability of the coating to deposit uniformly allows the cylinder to be machined to size, balanced, and plated without subsequent finishing or grinding. Typical Coating thicknesses are 1 to 2 mils (25 to 50 um). The life of this equipment is greatly extended by the lubricity and wear resistance of electroless nickel. Other textile applications include thread guides, fiber feeds, heddles, fabric knives, bobbins, rapiers, shuttles, ratchets, picks, and knitting needles.
• Packaging & Handling - Excellent wear and corrosion resistance is the reason packaging machinery and food handling equipment uses electroless nickel. The coatings provide an attractive finish and help to insure the cleanliness of the part. EN is used to handle such diverse products as sodium hydroxide, food grade acids and fish oils. Its uniform deposit is especially useful for hydraulic cylinders, worm feeds and extruders, shafts, chain belts and other close fitting parts. Common food applications include pneumatic canning machinery, hamburger molds and grills, bun warmers, fryers, chocolate molds, and baking pans.
• Aerospace - In the aerospace industry, electroless nickel is used to protect the surface of light metals, such as aluminum, from corrosion and wear. It also enhances the appearance of these metals with a polished, stainless steel look. The coating is used in a variety of aircraft parts, including engine components, structural air frame and landing gear pieces, refueling systems, compressor blades, and servo valves. Its uniform thickness and ability to coat the inside of holes and recesses, makes EN an ideal coating for welded tanks and complex hydraulic valve and manifold systems.