equality-albama-logoequality-albama-logoequality-albama-logoequality-albama-logo
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Write for us
The Importance of Food Safety
November 12, 2021
Signs You May Be Struggling With Your Business Finances
November 16, 2021

What Are the Differences Between Electroless and Electrolytic Nickel Plating?

Published by JEFFREY Dawson on November 15, 2021
Categories
  • Reviews
Tags

The discovery of nickel in 1751 was vital to the growth of industry. Its natural resistance to corrosion made it the perfect material to protect machinery from wear and degradation. Industrial nickel plating was developed a century later, and the principles established in the 1860s remain the basis of nickel plating today.

Image Credit

The evolution of nickel-plating is inseparable from the history of industrial innovation, and on both sides of the Atlantic successful businesses were founded to meet the needs of manufacturers to protect and preserve their increasingly sophisticated and expensive machinery. Some businesses, like the British family enterprise Poeton, were there at the beginning and remain leaders in research and development to this day.

Electrolytic and Electroless

Processes have changed over the decades, and although nickel remains the key ingredient, methods of application have diversified. Two of the most common alternatives are electrolytic and electroless nickel plating. To many industrialists the distinctions might not be obvious, but there are fundamental differences to take into account when considering which process to select.

Electrolytic nickel plating involves the application of a layer of nickel to a substrate of metal or alloy using a catalyst and a DC electrical charge to produce a chemical reaction. This causes the nickel to form a protective coating on the substrate.

Electroless nickel plating creates the same effect but by different means. As its name suggests, it requires neither catalyst nor charge, instead employing a chemical reducing agent that makes it possible to coat the surface and dispense with extra levels of processing.

Image Credit

Which Is Best?

So far so similar, but beyond the method of application lie considerable differences. As industry experience has shown, and the findings of the Surface Engineering Association (SEA) have echoed, not only is electroless more straightforward, it generally results in a consistent uniform coating as well as providing more robust resistance to corrosion and wear, greater performance and enhanced lubricity.

Electrolytic plating can produce a thicker coating of 100% nickel, whereas electroless involves the addition of phosphorus. Electrolytic coating is also cheaper and has better conductivity, making it suitable for high-volume production. Electroless, on the other hand, is extremely precise and the coatings not only reduce friction but are more resistant to cracking under the pressures of industrial use.

Both processes have their advantages, so it’s essential to select the one which will yield cost-effectiveness and efficiency.

Share
0
JEFFREY Dawson
JEFFREY Dawson

Related posts

How to Tie a Rope Halter
September 27, 2023

How to Tie a Rope Halter


Read more
Lightweight BMX Bikes: The Key to Effortless Maneuvers
September 24, 2023

Lightweight BMX Bikes: The Key to Effortless Maneuvers


Read more
June 19, 2023

Three Tips to Keep Farm Workers Safe


Read more

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Tags

  • Reviews
  • Lifestyle
  • Well-being
  • Renovation
  • Healthy Food
  • Food and Drink
  • Fashion
  • Business
  • Interior Design
  • Travel
  • Celebrity Gossip
  • Entertainment
  • Fitness
  • Trends
  • Technology
  • High Tech
  • Pet Care
  • Natural Remedies
  • Diet
  • Vehicle

Links

  • Write for us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • RSS

Recent Posts

  • How to Tie a Rope Halter
  • Lightweight BMX Bikes: The Key to Effortless Maneuvers
  • What Are 10 Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology?
  • Can Your Balance Beat Inflation?
© 2021 Equality Mag. All Rights Reserved.