Optimization of Reducing Agent and Key Parameters Effect on the Efficiency of Electroless Ni-P Plating by Taguchi Method

Abstract

This research paper reports on the improving nickel recovery efficiency of electroless Ni-P coating process. At present in electroless nickel coating process the nickel recovery efficiency is very low and it is only in the order of 25%. Due to this reason coating cost of electroless nickel is very high. Earlier researchers had tried to recover nickel from the used bath after coating is done and some of them got success in their attempt by further improving the nickel recovery from 25-35%. To overcome the above problem, the excess amount of reducing agent supplied to the bath during coating process to compensate consumed amount of electrons. The result showed that after adding 50% of excess amount of reducing agent at 30minutes of start of coating the nickel recovery was significantly increased from 35% to 60.51%. The influence of adding excess amount of reducing agent on nickel recovery efficiency and other characteristics were investigated. The various coatings parameters used in the electroless bath were optimized using taguchi optimisation technique.