Nickel Plating Research Articles

A Study on the Surface Oxidation Pretreatment and Nickel Plating Mechanism of Carbon Fiber.

This study explores the effects of various temperatures on the surface modification of carbon fibers, as well as the effect of differing voltages and currents on the morphology, deposition rate, and thickness of the Ni plating layers. Post-treatment characterization of the samples was conducted utilizing scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) methods, thus facilitating a discussion on the mechanism of Ni plating. The findings demonstrate that at a temperature of 500 °C, the carbon fiber surface exhibits the highest concentration of functional groups, including hydroxyl (-OH), carboxyl (-COOH), and carbonyl (-C=O), resulting in the most efficacious modification. Specifically, exceeding 500 °C leads to significant carbon fiber mass loss, compromising the reinforcement effect. Under a stable voltage of 7.5 V, the Ni-plated layer on the carbon fibers appear smooth, fine, uniform, and complete. Conversely, at a voltage of 15 V, the instantaneous high voltage induces the continuous growth of Ni2+ ions along a singular deposition point, forming a spherical Ni-plated layer. In addition, a current of 0.6 A yields a comparatively uniform and dense carbon fiber coating. Nickel-plated layers on a carbon fiber surface with different morphologies have certain innovative significance for the structural design of composite reinforcements.

A novel electroless nickel plating process for fabrication of optical fiber corrosion sensors

In this work, a novel silanization pre-treatment method has been successfully proposed to solve the problems of discontinuity and poor adhesion strength of electroless nickel plating using in the ultrasensitive optical fiber corrosion sensors. The chemically etched and hydroxylated optical fiber is simply treated with a mixed solution containing the hydrolyzed γ-APS with bifunctional group and PdCl2 before dipping into nickel plating solution. ATR-FTIR, AFM, SEM and theoretical calculations are applied to demonstrate the feasibility of the method and reaction mechanism. Results show that the –NH2 in γ-APS preferentially interacts with the Pd2+, while the Si-OH at the other end forms a covalent bond with the Si-OH on the optical fiber surface, forming a needle-like silane intercalation film by oriented adsorption. With this simple silanization pre-treatment method, a uniform and continuous electroless nickel plating can be successfully prepared. Our DFT calculations are good consistent with the experimental measurements.

Influence of nickel plating on the welding metallurgical mechanism, microstructure, and shear performance of C101/80Au20Sn/C101 solder joints

Herein, electroplated and electroless plating processes were used to plate nickel (Ni) on the surface of C101 alloy, which is a low-carbon steel with a carbon content of approximately 0.1% and Fe primarily contributing to the rest of the content and which is commonly used in metal packaging, and electroplated Ni and electroless Ni C101/80Au20Sn/C101 solder joints were prepared. The welding metallurgical mechanisms, microstructures, and shear performances of the two types of solder joints were investigated through experimental observation, material characterization, shear testing, and finite-element analysis (FEA). The diffusion of Ni atoms within the two platings was evaluated using first-principles calculation. Results indicated that the atomic arrangement of the electroplated Ni layer was polycrystalline, whereas that of the electroless Ni layer was primarily amorphous. The orientation of Ni grains in the electroplated-Ni joints affected the growth of (Ni,Au)3Sn2 throughout the welding metallurgical process. The [111] orientation suppressed the growth of (Ni,Au)3Sn2, resulting in a discontinuous distribution of (Ni,Au)3Sn2 at the Ni/solder interface and considerable variations in the thickness of (Ni,Au)3Sn2. Amorphous Ni in the electroless Ni layer promoted the growth of (Ni,Au)3Sn2, resulting in a continuous (Ni,Au)3Sn2 layer having a relatively uniform thickness. The shear strength of the electroplated-Ni joints was considerably lower than that of the electroless-Ni joints. FEA results demonstrated that the locations of stress concentration in the electroplated- and electroless-Ni joints were at the (Ni,Au)3Sn2/solder interface and within the solder matrix, respectively. First-principles calculations showed that the diffusion performance of Ni atoms in the electroless Ni layer was considerably superior to that of Ni atoms in the electroplated Ni layer.

Technical cleanliness of additively manufactured Inconel 718: a comparative study of surface treatment methods

PurposeMetal laser-powder-bed-fusion using laser-beam parts are particularly susceptible to contamination due to particles attached to the surface. This may compromise so-called technical cleanliness (e.g. in NASA RPTSTD-8070, ASTM G93, ISO 14952 or ISO 16232), which is important for many 3D-printed components, such as implants or liquid rocket engines. The purpose of the presented comparative study is to show how cleanliness is improved by design and different surface treatment methods.Design/methodology/approachConvex and concave test parts were designed, built and surface-treated by combinations of media blasting, electroless nickel plating and electrochemical polishing. After cleaning and analysing the technical cleanliness according to ASTM and ISO standards, effects on particle contamination, appearance, mass and dimensional accuracy are presented.FindingsContamination reduction factors are introduced for different particle sizes and surface treatment methods. Surface treatments were more effective for concave design features, however, the initial and resulting absolute particle contamination was higher. Results further indicate that there are trade-offs between cleanliness and other objectives in design. Design guidelines are introduced to solve conflicts in design when requirements for cleanliness exist.Originality/valueThis paper recommends designing parts and corresponding process chains for manufacturing simultaneously. Incorporating post-processing characteristics into the design phase is both feasible and essential. In the experimental study, electroless nickel plating in combination with prior glass bead blasting resulted in the lowest total remaining particle contamination. This process applied for cleanliness is a novelty, as well as a comparison between the different surface treatment methods.

The preparation of polystyrene/nickel core-shell particles for anisotropic conductive films (ACFs)

The use of core-shell conductive microspheres as conductive fillers for anisotropic conductive films (ACFs) has broad application prospects for high-precision circuit connections. However, existing preparation methods suffer from environmental pollution and a relatively long processing procedure. Therefore, we propose a bio-inspired, simple, and environmentally friendly method for preparing PS/Ni core-shell conductive particles suitable for ACFs. Specifically, this study utilized the oxidative self-polymerization of dopamine (DA) to modify the surface of polystyrene (PS) microspheres. The catechol groups in polydopamine (PDA) act as both reducing agents and anchor groups for palladium (Pd) atoms to catalyze the electroless nickel plating. Results indicated that the amount of (PDA) on the PS surface and the morphology of the formed nickel-phosphor (NiP) layer were regulated by adjusting the DA polymerization time and concentrations. The prepared PS-PDA/Ni conducting particles with an average diameter of 2 ± 0.2 μm has a low density (1.5 g/cm3) and can be applied to ACFs. The application of the prepared ACFs was demonstrated by bonding two flexible print circuits (FPC) with a line spacing of 200 μm. Good adhesion, conductivity, and anisotropic properties were observed in the bonded FPC-200s. This study provides useful information for producing suitable conductive particles with easy synthesis for ACFs applications.

Electromagnetic Interference Shielding and Joule Heating Properties of Flexible, Lightweight, and Hydrophobic MXene/Nickel-Coated Polyester Fabrics Manufactured by Dip-Dry Coating and Electroless Plating.

High-performance electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials with high flexibility, low density, and hydrophobic surface are crucial for modern integrated electronics and telecommunication systems in advanced industries like aerospace, military, artificial intelligence, and wearable electronics. In this study, we present flexible and hydrophobic MXene/Ni-coated polyester (PET) fabrics featuring a double-layered structure, fabricated via a facile and scalable dip-dry coating process followed by electroless nickel plating. Increasing the dip-dry coating iterations up to 10 cycles boosts the MXene loading content (∼31 wt %) and electrical conductivity (∼86 S/cm) of MXene-coated PET fabrics, while maintaining constant porosity (∼95%). The addition of a Ni layer enhances hydrophobicity, achieving a high water contact angle of ∼114° compared to only MXene-coated PET fabrics (∼49°). Furthermore, the 30 μm thick MXene/Ni-coated PET fabric demonstrates superior electrical conductivity (∼113.8 S/cm) and EMI shielding effectiveness (∼35.7 dB at 8-12 GHz) compared to only MXene- or Ni-coated PET fabrics. The EMI shielding performance of the MXene/Ni-coated PET fabric remains more stable in an air environment than only MXene-coated fabrics due to the outer Ni layer with excellent hydrophobicity and oxidation stability. Additionally, the MXene/Ni-coated PET fabric exhibits impressive Joule heating performance, swiftly converting electrical energy into heat and reaching high steady-state temperatures (32-92 °C) at low applied voltages (0.5-1.5 V).

Enhanced surface wettability modification of Al2O3 for laser cladding ceramic-metal composite coatings

For the purpose of improving the wettability of ceramic reinforcement phases when heated in molten metal as well as improving particle reinforced metal matrix composite performance, electroless nickel plating was used to synthesize modified Al2O3@Ni powders for laser cladding. The results showed that a thin nickel shell uniformly covered the surface of the Al2O3 powders with a thickness of about 1.5 μm. It was shown that pretreatment significantly affects obtaining a complete and uniform nickel layer after nickel deposition. The composite coatings of Al2O3-316 L and Al2O3@Ni-316 L were prepared by laser cladding, respectively. The results showed that both of the microhardness of Al2O3@Ni-316 L cladding layers is higher (449.9HV0.05) than that of Al2O3-316 L (384.2HV0.05), the friction coefficient and wear rate of Al2O3-316 L are much lower than that of Al2O3@Ni-316 L cladding layer. The results indicated that Ni-coated Al2O3 powders could reduce the defects and obtain cladding coatings of high quality.

Effect of bath temperature on electroplating of nickel on a copper substrate

ABSTRACT Nickel electroplating is known to be industrially effective for enhancing various substrate properties. In the present work, nickel coatings were developed on copper substrates by electroplating using standard nickel plating solution at various electrolyte bath temperatures ranging from 40 ± 2°C to 60 ± 2°C in steps of 10°C. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) were used to study the composition, phase structure and morphology of the coatings. The coatings were also analysed for hardness and porosity, and process current efficiency was measured. The electrolyte bath temperature has a profound effect on the nature of the developed nickel coatings, and is observed to have an impact on the surface morphology, crystallographic direction, and hardness, as well as deposition current efficiency.

Preparation and microwave absorption property of Ni/Al powder

As a functional composite material, nickel-coated aluminum powder has been widely used in conductive fillers, electromagnetic shielding materials and other fields due to its advantages of low density, high conductivity and low cost. In this paper, nickel-plated aluminum powder was prepared by a sodium hypophosphite system. The effects of different nickel coating amounts (the percentage of nickel-plating quality to nickel-plated aluminum powder quality) on the morphology, phase, compaction resistivity and electromagnetic parameters of nickel-plated aluminum powder coating were studied. The X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) results proved the successful preparation of nickel-coated aluminum powders with different nickel coating amounts. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images clearly show the coating effect under different nickel coating amounts. By plating nickel on the surface of aluminum powder, the surface characteristics of aluminum powder are changed, so as to adjust its conductivity, resistance, stability and other properties, thus affecting its electromagnetic performance and wave absorption performance. The results show that the comprehensive absorbing performance is excellent when the nickel coating amount is 40%. The reflection loss of the sample with a thickness of 2.0[Formula: see text]mm is less than [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]dB in the frequency range of 10.17–12.38[Formula: see text]GHz. When the frequency is 10.72[Formula: see text]GHz, the minimum reflection loss reaches [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]dB.

Novel conductive Janus membranes with water diode effect assisted by an electrostatic field for efficient mass transfer and oil-water separation

Membrane separation technology is effective for treating oily wastewater but is limited by the lack of membranes that are both highly permeable and fouling-resistant. Janus membranes, with asymmetric wettability and electrostatic repulsion of charged oil droplets, offer a potential strategy for oil-water separation. This study developed novel electrically enhanced conductive Janus membranes using metal-modified organic membranes to achieve high-efficiency treatment. Conductive metal Janus membranes were fabricated using a straightforward two-step method involving simple electroless nickel plating and surface peeling. The resulting nickel-coated surface of the membrane demonstrated extreme hydrophilicity, underwater oleophobicity, and excellent conductivity (approximately 4.7 Ω). Fascinatingly, the developed membranes exhibited a “water diode” effect, facilitating unidirectional liquid transport without external pressure. Gravity-driven oil-water separation achieved a flux rate of 4874 L m−2 h−1 and over 99 % oil removal efficiency, surpassing most existing studies. During electro-filtration of oil-water emulsions, the conductive Janus membrane as a cathode generated electrostatic repulsion, preventing emulsified oil droplet adhesion. Applying an external voltage increased the flux by approximately 13 times and oil removal efficiency to 99.6 %. The membrane's separation capability remained consistent across six cycle tests, demonstrating robust stability. As all, this work first synthesized conductive “water diode” Janus membranes with high oil-water separation efficiency, offering fresh perspectives on the design and fabrication of Janus membranes as well as on the processes for treating oily wastewater.

Preparation and properties of FeS/iron-based self-lubricating materials by chemical nickel plating-mechanical alloying

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the effect of chemical nickel plating and mechanical alloying on the mechanical and tribological properties of FeS/iron-based self-lubricating materials as well as the wear mechanism of the materials.Design/methodology/approachSurface modification of FeS powder was carried out by chemical nickel plating method and mechanical alloying of mixed powder by ball milling. The mechanical properties of the material were tested by tribological testing by M-200 ring block type friction and wear tester. Optical microscope was used to observe the surface morphology of the material and the transfer film on the surface of the mate parts, and scanning electron microscope and EDS were used to characterize the wear surface.FindingsMechanical alloying ball milling was carried out so that the lubricating particles in the matrix are uniformly dispersed; nickel-plated layer enhances the interfacial bonding of FeS and the matrix, and the combination of the two improves the mechanical properties of the material, and at the same time the friction side of the surface of the lubrication of FeS lubricant transfer film formed is denser and more intact, and the friction coefficient of friction side and the wear rate of the material have been greatly reduced.Originality/valueThis work aims to improve the mechanical and tribological properties of FeS/iron-based self-lubricating materials and to provide a reference for the preparation of materials with excellent overall properties.

Flexible thin parts multi‐target positioning method of multi‐level feature fusion

AbstractIn new energy battery manufacturing, machine vision is widely used in automated assembly scenarios for key parts. To improve the accuracy and real‐time multi‐target positioning recognition of flexible thin parts, this paper proposes a multi‐level feature fusion template matching algorithm based on the Gaussian pyramid. Firstly, the algorithm constructs a Gaussian pyramid by multi‐scale image construction. Secondly, considering the image features of each layer of the pyramid, this paper uses the grey‐based Fast Normalized Matching algorithm to obtain coarse positioning coordinates on the upper layer, and the improved Linemod‐2D algorithm is applied to the bottom layer image to get accurate positioning coordinates. Finally, the positioning coordinates returned from each layer are fused to obtain the final positioning coordinate. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm achieves excellent performance in nickel plate positioning and recognition. It exhibits satisfactory performance in nickel sheet localization and recognition. In terms of angular error, repeat accuracy, and matching speed, it competes favourably with Halcon, VisionMaster, and SCISmart. Its positioning error closely approximates that of Halcon, effectively meeting the practical production demands for high‐speed feeding and high‐precision positioning.

Study on seawater corrosion resistance of copper alloy

Abstract The Marine environment is a very complex and corrosive environment. Marine corrosion environment can be generally divided into Marine atmospheric environment and seawater environment. Because the seawater is rich in a variety of free ions mixed with corrosive media, the main component is sodium chloride, in addition to containing magnesium, potassium, iodine, bromine, and other elements of salt, which has strong corrosion to metal materials, if serious, it will cause safety accidents. Therefore, ensuring the effectiveness of the anticorrosion system is very important for the safe and reliable operation of the offshore platform. pulse plating is used and the metal nickel coating and metal nickel-chromium coating are prepared to analyze the microstructure and corrosion resistance of each film layer. From the macroscopic, it can be found that three coatings have more or less corrosion phenomenon, there is obviously no nickel-chromium and nickel layer on the surface of nickel-chromium corrosion defects, and through scanning electron microscopic observation, microscopic level nickel chromium corrosion after corrosion phenomenon is the least of three layers, which suggests that nickel chromium seawater corrosion resistance is strong. The three layers are then electrochemical corroded to study the corrosion resistance of the three layers. The results show that the corrosion resistance of the nickel-plated layer, nickel-chromium coating, and nickel-iron chromium coating prepared in the copper substrate is improved successively, which shows the influence of different membrane elements on the corrosion resistance of copper substrate against seawater medium. Although the composition parameters of the various membrane layers vary, they experience the same corrosion mechanism-pitting; Nickel chromium and chromium, iron and other atoms are present in the nickel matrix in the form of solid solution and finally form the solid solution alloy coating. For nickel-chromium coating, the content of iron and chromium in the surface layer has a certain influence on the corrosion resistance of the metal coating. The electrochemical parameters of nickel plating are studied separately, and the comparison with the nickel-chromium alloy coating and the coating is conducted. The equivalent circuit is fitted and determines the largest impedance value and the largest phase Angle among the three membrane layers, which finally has the strongest seawater corrosion resistance.

Efficient manufacture of high-performance electroplated diamond wires utilizing Cr-coated diamond micro-powder

The slicing of silicon ingots using electroplated diamond wires is a fundamental process in the creation of semiconductor devices such as chips and photovoltaic cells. Composite electroplating, a process that uses nickel (Ni) plating to fix diamond particles onto a steel wire, is a critical step in the manufacturing of these diamond wires. In this work, chromium (Cr)-coated diamond was used to achieve rapid and high-quality composite electroplating, thereby aiding the production of high-performance diamond wire saws. The Cr-coated diamond micro-powder was prepared utilizing vacuum slow evaporation technology at a temperature of 850 °C. This resulted in a uniform and firm Cr coating that was firmly bonded to the diamond surface via Cr3C2. Subsequent electrochemical tests were conducted in the composite electroplating bath. Linear scanning voltammetric curves revealed that the Cr-coated diamond was capable of inducing a more positive shift in the overpotential of Ni deposition, thus enhancing the reaction beyond that of uncoated diamond micro-powder. Additionally, the electrochemical impedance spectra indicated a decrease in charge transfer resistance during composite electroplating, attributable to the conductivity of the Cr-coated diamond. Electroplated diamond wires incorporating Cr-coated diamond demonstrated a greater abrasive density per unit length. SEM results showed that Ni was able to deposit on the Cr-coated diamond surface, resulting in the abrasives being completely covered by the Ni plating. The Cr-coated diamond wire exhibits a stronger resistance to abrasive detachment after cutting, which could increase the diamond-protrusion of the wire. The utilization of Cr-coated diamond micro-powder as an abrasive is anticipated to enhance the manufacturing efficiency of diamond wires and improve product quality, thereby promoting advancements in hard and brittle material processing technology.

Effects of hydrogen permeation on the mechanical characteristics of electroless nickel-plated free-cutting steel for application to the hydrogen valves of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles

Electroless nickel plating is a suitable technology for the hydrogen industry because electroless nickel can be mass-produced at a low cost. Investigating in a complex environment where hydrogen permeation and friction/wear work simultaneously is necessary to apply it to hydrogen valves for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. In this research, the effects of hydrogen permeation on the mechanical characteristics of electroless nickel-plated free-cutting steel (SUM 24L) were investigated. Due to the inherent characteristics of electroless nickel plating, the damage (cracks and delamination of grain) and micro-particles by hydrogen permeation were clearly observed at the grain boundaries and triple junctions. In particular, the cracks grew from grain boundary toward the intergranualr. This is because the grain boundaries and triple junctions are hydrogen permeation pathways and increasing area of the hydrogen partial pressure. As a result, its surface roughness increased by a maximum of two times, and its hardness and adhesion strength decreased by hydrogen permeation. In particular, hydrogen permeation increased the friction coefficient of the electroless nickel-plated layer, and the damage caused by adhesive wear was significantly greater, increasing the wear depth by up to 5.7 times. This is believed to be due to the decreasing in wear resistance of the electroless nickel plating layer damaged by hydrogen permeation. Nevertheless, the Vickers hardness and the friction coefficient of the electroless nickel plating layer were improved by about 3 and 5.6 times, respectively, compared with those of the free-cutting steel. In particular, the electroless nickel-plated specimens with hydrogen embrittlement exhibited significantly better mechanical characteristics and wear resistance than the free-cutting steel.

Cross-Sectional Melt Pool Geometry of Laser Scanned Tracks and Pads on Nickel Alloy 718 for the 2022 Additive Manufacturing Benchmark Challenges

The Additive Manufacturing Benchmark Series (AM Bench) is a NIST-led organization that provides a continuing series of additive manufacturing benchmark measurements, challenge problems, and conferences with the primary goal of enabling modelers to test their simulations against rigorous, highly controlled additive manufacturing benchmark measurement data. To this end, single-track (1D) and pad (2D) scans on bare plate nickel alloy 718 were completed with thermography, cross-sectional grain orientation and local chemical composition maps, and cross-sectional melt pool size measurements. The laser power, scan speed, and laser spot size were varied for single tracks, and the scan direction was varied for pads. This article focuses on the cross-sectional melt pool size measurements and presents the predictions from challenge problems. Single-track depth correlated with volumetric energy density while width did not (within the studied parameters). The melt pool size for pad scans was greater than single tracks due to heat buildup. Pad scan melt pool depth was reduced when the laser scan direction and gas flow direction were parallel. The melt pool size in pad scans showed little to no trend against position within the pads. Uncertainty budgets for cross-sectional melt pool size from optical micrographs are provided for the purpose of model validation.

Alternative coatings to cyanide silver coatings with low infrared emissivity for tokamak components

Alternative to cyanide silver coatings with low infrared emissivity for tokamak components were prepared by cyanide-free silver plating on nuclear-grade 304L stainless steel. The surface morphology, coating adhesion and emissivity were characterized and optimized. The experimental results indicate that the developed cyanide-free silver coating is a viable alternative to cyanide silver coating. The adhesion of silver coating was enhanced by the reactivating of nickel plating. The emissivity was reduced by decreasing surface roughness and increasing coating thickness. Both optimizations reach limit at 0.4 μm and 0.6 μm, respectively. Further decrease in surface roughness and increase in coating thickness did not contribute to decreasing emissivity. To sum up, the obtained cyanide-free silver coatings showed sufficient adhesion with emissivity as low as 0.02, thus providing an eco-friendly alternative solution to fusion energy application.

ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕ ДОБАВОК ПИРИДИНОВЫХ СОЛЕЙ ДЛЯ ПОЛУЧЕНИЯ БЛЕСТЯЩИХ НИКЕЛЕВЫХ ПОКРЫТИЙ

The process of electrochemical nickel plating and the effect of the process of nickel deposition are considered

ПОЛУЧЕНИЕ БЛЕСТЯЩИХ НИКЕЛЕВЫХ ПОКРЫТИЙ В ПРИСУТСТВИИ ТРИФТОРУКСУСНОЙ КИСЛОТЫ

The influence of a fluorine-containing compound on the process of electrochemical nickel plating in sulfate and acetate-chloride electrolytes is considered

Design and Analysis of a Textured Cu-Encapsulated Ni Tube for Low-Reflection Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Material.

With the frequent increase and update of electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials, a low-resolution material that can absorb most electromagnetic waves, thereby effectively reducing the secondary pollution, is urgently needed. However, the excellent performance, flexibility, and low cost of these methods are usually incompatible with current reports. To address the above dilemma, we reported a facile solution for fabricating a low-reflection and high-performance EMI shielding composite by means of electroless nickel plating (EP-Ni), electroless copper plating (EP-Cu), annealing, and coating with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer with the structure of a Ni@Cu tube encapsulated with PDMS. The results indicate that the active groups on vegetable wool can act as active sites for the absorption of the Pd catalyst, thereby catalyzing the reduction of Ni2+, Cu2+, and the subsequent deposition on the plant fiber surface. Notably, the Ni@Cu-encapsulated plant fibers decreased during annealing at 100 °C. According to the segregated network and synergistic effect of the porous structure, the as-fabricated EMI shielding material demonstrated high absorption and low reflection, in which the power coefficient of the T value was approximately 0.0001, the R value was about 0.1764 (a decrease of 27.5% compared that of EP-Ni cotton), and the A value was approximately 0.8235.