NiTEC UK Ltd electroless nickel plating enp

Hardwick House, Hardwick View Road, Holmewood Industrial Estate, Chesterfield S42 5SA

Telephone: 0845 224 3571 Fax: 01246 859300

Email: web@nitec-enp.co.uk www.nitec-enp.co.uk

Electroless nickel plating is a popular method of coating objects with nickel. It is called "electroless" because no electricity is needed for the process. This is known as Autocatalytic Chemical Reduction. There are advantages to using Electroless nickel plating (ELP) instead of nickel electroplating. They are as follows:

Non-metallic surfaces such as plastic or composites can be coated with nickel.

The coating is more uniform.

Electroless coatings have improved corrosion resistance.

The benefits of electroless nickel result from its excellent properties such as

it gives a uniform covering on all parts of a component

it has good corrosion resistance, wear resistance, it can be soldered

it produces a low friction surface... this can ease secondary assembly operations and wear in light loading applications.

Environment, corrosion resistance, thickness and finished component tolerances should all be considered when selecting the appropriate electroless nickel plating finish.

Duplex coatings can offer additional corrosion and wear resistance that exceed conventional coatings.

Electroless nickel formulations have a range of magnetic properties to meet applications needs.

Electroless nickel deposits can be post treated to differentiate them from other finishes, and are frequently used to identify parts that are identical in dimension but have different applications.

Solderable coatings... a wide variety of phosphorous levels and can produce a deposit to meet the soldering properties required.

Coatings can be brazed or welded.

Nickel alloys in aero engines

Nickel alloys have advanced the performance of aircraft engines since the 1930s, when new alloys were developed that could withstand the extreme temperatures and pressures of new engines.

This process continues today with the engines that have been developed for the A380. The GP7200 for example, developed by Engine Alliance, will have lower fuel burn emissions and far less noise than other aircraft. These improvements are designed to meet tougher noise restrictions at European airports.

Nickel alloys allow lower engine weights, even as they develop more thrust, and higher operating temperatures. Engine Alliance uses advanced nickel-base alloys that allow the turbine disks to operate for long periods of time at temperatures 38 °C hotter than previous generation disk alloys, enabling significantly more efficient engine cycles and improved fuel economy.