The Difference Between Electroplated Nickel and Chemical Nickel
Author: Robby
The main difference between electroless nickel plating and chemical nickel plating is whether or not current is used.
Electroless nickel plating is a method of plating a layer of nickel on a metal or some non-metal by an electrolytic process. It is divided into two types: electroless nickel plating and chemical nickel plating. Electroless nickel plating is in an electrolyte consisting of nickel salts, conductive salts, pH buffers, and wetting agents, with nickel metal used for the anode and plated parts for the cathode, and direct current is passed through the cathode (plated parts) to deposit a uniform, dense nickel plating layer. Electroplated nickel layer has high stability in air, extremely fine crystallization, excellent polishing performance, plating hardness is relatively high, can improve the wear resistance of the surface of products. It is widely used in automobiles, bicycles, clocks and watches, medical equipment, instruments and daily-use hardware, etc. It is mainly used as protective decorative plating.
Chemical nickel plating, also known as electroless nickel plating or autocatalytic nickel plating, refers to the process in which nickel ions in aqueous solution are reduced by a reducing agent under certain conditions and precipitated onto the surface of a solid substrate. Electroless nickel plating does not require an applied current, but proceeds through natural chemical reactions. The plating solution is generally nickel sulfate, nickel acetate, etc. as the main salt, hypophosphite, sodium borohydride, borane, hydrazine, etc. as the reducing agent, and then add a variety of additives. Chemical nickel plating thickness uniformity is good, no hydrogen seepage, no hydrogen embrittlement, chemical nickel plating does not need to remove hydrogen. Many chemical nickel plating products corrosion resistance and resistance to high temperature oxidation than electroplated nickel, can be deposited on the surface of a variety of materials, especially for complex shapes, the surface requires wear and corrosion-resistant parts of the functional plating and so on.
In summary, the main difference between electroless nickel plating and chemical nickel plating lies in the use of electric current and their respective characteristics and application areas.