Platings affect not only how a metal fastener looks, but also its hardness, electrical conductivity, coefficient of friction, and how it will withstand corrosion or wear resistance. Metal fasteners often come into contact with dissimilar metals, which is a recipe for corrosion and a whole host of other problems. Even the smallest component can ruin the overall effectiveness of a product or cause significant challenges, which in turn may determine a manufacturer’s success or failure.
Nickel plating is used extensively to plate fasteners to provide better corrosion and wear resistance. Nickel will not chip or flake, as some other decorative finishes may, which makes it extremely attractive for critical industries such as defense and aerospace. It also provides excellent adhesion for other coating layers and is often used as an “undercoat” for other coatings such as gold, chromium, or silver.
How is the process performed?
There are two main ways to plate a fastener with nickel – electroplating and electroless plating.
- Nickel electroplating is an electrolytic process that utilizes electricity to deposit a layer of nickel onto an electrically conductive metal substrate.
- Electroless nickel plating is an auto-catalytic reaction that deposits the coating onto the fastener substrate.
Of course, those are not the only two types of plating performed with nickel. Other types of nickel plating include bright nickel plating which leaves a remarkably leveled and glossy surface, zinc-nickel plating which adds zinc to the mix for even better corrosion resistance, and others.
What are the main benefits of selecting nickel plating?
Nickel plating is an excellent choice to add or enhance the properties of a variety of metals. The benefits of nickel plating include, but are not limited to:
| Appearance | The finish can be bright, semi-bright, or matte in appearance. |
| Diffusion barrier | Makes a suitable barrier between the plated material and a second layer material such as silver or gold. |
| Enhanced corrosion resistance | Enhances the resistance to a wide variety of corrosive materials such as acids, alkali, ammonia, hydrocarbons, salt water, solvents, and more. |
| Enhanced wear resistance | Ideal for high-performance applications or harsh conditions. Nickel will maintain its appearance and brightness over long periods. |
| Hardness and material stability | Nickel can fill small holes and cracks which can help stabilize the materials and give the fasteners a more even surface. |
| Improved conductivity | Improves conductivity in electrical applications and components. |
| Improved ductility | Enhances ductility which allows a component to be shaped, formed, or finished without cracking. |
| Improved tensile strength | The process enhances the overall tensile strength of the plated material. |
| Improved resistance to the elements | Nickel plating enhances overall resistance to UV radiation, moisture, temperatures, and other harsh environmental conditions. |
What applications is this type of coating used for?
Nickel plating is used extensively in applications such as (but not limited to):
- Aerospace applications
- Automotive applications
- Chemical processing equipment
- Electronic applications
- Food processing equipment
- Subsea
- And more
How can fasteners from Pure Tech Components Ltd help you?
Pure Tech Components Ltd are the premier UK distributor for UC Components, Inc.
UC Components, Inc. has been the world leader in high vacuum hardware since 1974. While suitable materials, coating, plating, or finishing treatment for your fastener application is best defined by your process engineer, we are always here to assist you.
We offer a wide variety of fasteners, washers, nuts, and O-rings which are designed for use in a wide range of high vacuum applications and other clean-critical environments, offering a variety of specialized venting designs, numerous finishes, and complete Class 100/ISO Class 5 Cleanroom cleaning and packaging.
Please feel free to visit our website to view our products on offer, request a quote, or contact us for more assistance or additional information. If you do not see the fastener, material, or O-ring that you need listed in our standard products, please contact us, as we are normally able to acquire or manufacture just about any fastener or O-ring you need.
Our plating and coating finishing processes include:
- Silver Plating (-A/-NA)
- Gold Plating (-AU/-NAU)
- Nickel Plating (-K/-NK)
- MoS2 Coating (-C/-NC)
- WS2 Coating (-W/-NW)
- Electropolishing (-EP/-NEP)
- Kolsterising® (-KOL/-N-KOL)