Session Details
Session 11: Corrosion & Wear Deposit Coatings
Abstract Number:
54
Audience members will learn the benefits of operation of a system controlled steady state operation of electroless nickel baths. By maintaining the by-product concentration in an electroless nickel solution an applicator can achieve consistent, predictable and high quality deposit properties and improve throughput and consistency in their process.
Topics:
Corrosion or Wear Deposits/Coatings
General Surface Finishing
Unlike most commercially available electrolytic processes, electroless nickel solutions have a finite operating life which is due in large part to reaction by-product build up in the solution. Consequently the “age“ of an electroless bath can be characterized by the concentration of these by-products. As these species build in concentration not only can the operation of the plating bath be affected, but more importantly the properties of the deposit can change quite dramatically. Some applications that use electroless nickel require very specific deposit properties and therefore require a narrow window of operating age which can be challenging for applicators to meet.
This presentation will serve to illustrate techniques and technologies that can be used to operate an electroless nickel solution virtually indefinitely at a very specific and targeted age of solution. This can help applicators improve deposit quality and consistency and improve yields. Two specific techniques will be compared and contrasted and the advantages and disadvantages of both will be characterized.