Electroless Nickel Plating
Electroless nickel plating is a process that involves autocatalytically depositing a dense coating of nickel-phosphorus alloy on a metallic substrate. Since its initial discovery in the 1940s, electroless nickel plating has expanded in scope to include all major industries.
Dav-Tech Plating uses Dav-Lin® Nickel, a proprietary formulation, for all its electroless nickel plating. We developed this functional coating to provide the plastics, medical, nuclear and defense industries with a high-quality, lead-free and cadmium-free nickel coating.
Dav-Lin® Nickel has demonstrated performance far superior to other commercial electroless nickel coatings. In some corrosive environments, it has proven to last five times longer than other electroless nickel coatings. Its wear resistance is illustrated with a Taber Wear Factor of 2.13 in the as-plated condition, compared with hard chrome’s 2.0 Taber Wear Factor.
Dav-Lin® may be applied as a decorative finish in some applications, though it’s primarily used for its high corrosion resistance and improved wear resistance.
Dav-Lin® Properties
| Thickness |
.0001” to .010” is possible |
| Tolerancing | Dependent on selected plating thickness |
| Hardness, as deposited | Rc 48 |
| Hardness, heat treated | Rc 68 |
| Specific gravity | Approximately 7.8 |
| Wear Resistance |
Excellent |
| Corrosion Resistance |
Excellent |
| Acid Resistance | Passes Nitric Acid spot test |
| Magnetic Properties | Non-magnetic |
| Reference Specifications |
Applicable specifications, for electroless nickel only, include:
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| Compliance |
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Post baking of electroless nickel will increase hardness for abrasion and wear. If your substrate material is sensitive to heat treatment, Dav-Tech can make modifications that affect only the coating. This ability to modify the hardness characteristic enables us to deliver an electroless nickel coating that is specific to your unique application.
Benefits of Dav-Lin® Electroless Nickel Plating
The primary advantage of Dav-Lin® electroless nickel plating is its perfect “throwing” power. Unlike electrolytically deposited coatings, electroless nickel can be deposited on any surface to which the solution has free access. Electroless nickel coating is also extremely uniform and will not generate excessive buildup on corners or projections.
Other benefits include:
Superior corrosion resistance
Natural lubricity for excellent mold release properties
Freedom from porosity
Anti-galling characteristics for mating metallic substrates
A solderable, hard coating for light metals
Overall uniformity of deposit with no edge buildup
Selective plating for salvaging worn or mis-machined parts
Planning for Dav-Lin®
When ordering Dav-Lin®, please let Dav-Tech Plating know the following so we can make appropriate arrangements and recommendations:
Your base material
Thickness range and tolerance
Masking requirements, if any
If you need as-deposited or heat treated
End use of product