The properties and the effect of operating parameters on nickel plating (review)

Abstract

The energy required in an electroplating process and the material costs are important considerations in product manufacturing. The most important plating criteria, however, are quality and the uniformity of the deposited metals. The nickel plating process is used extensively for decorative, engineering, and electroforming purposes. Because of the appearance and other properties of the electrodeposited material, nickel deposition can be varied, over a wide range, by controlling the composition and the operating parameters of the plating solution. Decorative applications account for about 80% of the nickel consumed in plating; 20% is consumed for engineering and electroforming purposes. Autocatalytic (electroless) nickel plating processes are commercially important but are outside the scope of this review. In this review, the basic facts of nickel electroplating processes, thickness test and methods, are discussed. The properties of nickel and the different effects of the operating parameters on nickel plating, together with the simulation and design tools, are also reviewed. Simulation tools can help to obtain better plating results. Non-destructive techniques to evaluate the coatings on a microstructural and the technical evaluation with TEM, SEM, XRD and other techniques were also reviewed. Key words: Electroplating, nickel plating, metal distribution, nickel thickness, electroforming and thickness test.