A friend consulted and said that during the process of using bright nickel plating additives, there is a particle sensation on the surface of the workpiece coating. What is the reason for this?
Based on on-site experience and the characteristics of Ni-301, a nickel plating brightener, Bigley Technology has analyzed the following four main points:
1. The cathode current density is too high. When the current density is too high, the deposition speed of the workpiece coating is too fast, which can easily cause roughness and burning of the coating, giving it a grainy appearance. When using the Ni-301 bright nickel process, the current density should be controlled within the range of 2~8.5A/dm2.
2. The pH value of the plating solution is too high. During the production process, the pH value of the plating solution will gradually increase. When the pH value of the plating solution is too high, there will be alkaline nickel salt precipitation near the cathode, which is conducive to the retention of bubbles on the surface of the cathode. The surface of the coating is prone to being mixed with alkaline nickel salt, resulting in rough and granular phenomena. Therefore, the pH value of the plating solution using Ni-301 bright nickel additive should be strictly controlled within the range of 4.0 to 4.8.
3. The chloride ion content in the plating solution is too high. Generally, the chloride ion in the plating solution is provided by Nickel(II) chloride or sodium chloride, which can promote the normal dissolution of anode nickel plate. However, the content of chloride ions should not be too high, otherwise it will cause irregular dissolution of the nickel anode, leading to an increase in anode sludge, and the coating is prone to roughness and particles.
4. The influence of solid particles in the plating solution. The solid particles in the plating solution mainly come from the introduction of air, filters, and anode sludge. These solid particles are easily mixed in the coating, leading to the appearance of roughness and particles in the coating. This phenomenon is more obvious in the high current zone of the coating.
Therefore, when using bright nickel plating additives, we should pay attention to the above four points when there is a particle sensation on the surface of the workpiece coating, promptly eliminate faults, and reduce losses. If you are interested in bright nickel plating additives, please contact Bigley customer service to obtain free samples and detailed technical information!
If you want to learn more about nickel plating, you can click to view the "Common problem".
