A lot of the popularity of electroless nickel plating today is owed to the many benefits that it offers that traditional electrolytic plating is unable to accomplish. For those that are not familiar, electroless nickel plating allows for electroless deposits to form without the need for an external electrical current.
With that being said, here are some of the materials that can be electroless nickel plated.
Materials
You can list aluminum, steel, copper, nickel, and brass to the list of materials that are compatible with electroless nickel plating. The list does not stop there as there are a many more materials that benefit from this process.
This even includes some lesser-used materials such as kovar and hastalloy. Perhaps their most common usage, though, is on metal alloys. Electroless nickel plating is compatible with many metal alloys, including nickel, copper, steel, and more.
Electroless nickel plating is truly quite indiscriminate and works on almost all surfaces.
Benefits of Electroless Plating
While electroless nickel plating can work on virtually any surface, some may wonder its usefulness over other plating types. Electroless nickel plating has many benefits, including:
• Excellent corrosion resistance
• Solderability
• Durability
• Many finish types (including bright and semi-bright)
• Consistent, uniform finish
• Reduces friction
• Corrosion resistant
• Abrasion resistance
• Can be heat-treated to increase durability
Conclusion
The next time you require versatility and ease of application, think about electroless nickel plating and take full advantage of its many benefits. It practically works on any material and on any surface.
