Nickel Plating

Nickel is perhaps the most versatile metal in the electroplater's repertory. It is also probably the most thoroughly investigated from both the practical and the theoretical viewpoints, of any of the platina metals.

The application nickel plating is as a bright coating under a much thinner principal for chromium plate to provide a lustrous and protective finish for articles of steel, brass, zinc die castings, plastics, and to some extent on aluminum and magnesium alloys. The nickel plate-its thickness and type-is the main factor determining the corrosion protection afforded to the substrate.

The bath chosen and the conditions of operation will depend on the use to be made of the deposit: for engineering applications, where physical properties and thickness are paramount; for purely' decorative applications on inexpensive articles, where the principal aim is to achieve a bright deposit at the minimum thickness; for such uses as automotive bright work, where both appearance and protective value must be balanced against cost; and so on. To serve these many markets, many different electrolytes are available and within any given bath formulation minor variations in additives and operating conditions offer further possibilities for choice.