Electroless plating

• Coating is accomplished by immersing the part in an aqueous solution

containing salts, a reducing agent and other chemicals that control pH
and reaction rates. When a suitable substrate is put in the bath,it acts
as a catalyst or aid to cause the nickel ions in solution to be reduced
by the reducing agent.
• The ions are not picking up electrons from the cathode as in
electroplating. The reducing agent is causing the metal ion reduction,
and nickel coating on the part continues to act as the catalyst as the
plating process proceeds.
• “ Auto catalytic plating
Electrolessplating of Nickel
• The plating does stop when the catalytic surface is covered.Once covered , the
catalyst for the reduction process. The reaction in a nickel sulfate bath with a
sodium hypophosphite reducting agent is Heat
• NiSO4+ NaH2PO2 + H20 –-Ni plating +NaHPO3+H2 SO4
catalyst
• Best catalysts for this type of coating are iron,nickel, cobalt and palladium.
Good bond strengths have been demonstrated
• The heat shown in the reaction equation comes from plating bath.
• Electroless nickel baths usually run near the boiling point of
water
Electroless plating of Ni ( contd.)
• The finished nickel containing is not pure nickel but contains
phosperous inclusions. The phosphorus content can be as high as
13%.
• Deposited electroless nickel has a hardness of about 43 HRC, and
hardness can be increased by age hardening heat treatment at
temperature in the range of 288 to 400 C. A typical HT of 2 hours
@315 C will increase the coating hardness to around 60 HRC
 Comparison of Electro & Electroless plating
• Electroless nickel deposition rates are relatively slow compared to
electrodeposits. Plating rates are 10 microns per hour. Maximum
thickness limit is 50 microns.
• Biggest advantage of electroless deposited coatings is that there are
no throwing power and corner build problem
Throwing power in electroplating