In-depth Technical Articles

Hot and cold sealing of anodizing

Sealing anodized aluminum closes the pores of the oxide layer and is critical for corrosion resistance, color stability and durability. This page compares hot sealing and cold sealing (nickel salts).

Electroless nickel and anodizing price: what drives cost

One of the most common questions we receive from those approaching a technical surface treatment for the first time is: “How much does it cost per kilo?” Whether we’re talking about electroless nickel plating or anodizing, the correct answer is: it depends.

Electroless nickel plating thickness for corrosion resistance

One of the main properties of electroless nickel plating is its corrosion resistance. Electroless nickel plating is in fact used on mechanical metal parts (steel, aluminum alloys or copper alloys) when protection from oxidation and corrosion by external agents is required.

What is electroless nickel plating?

Electroless nickel plating (also called electroless nickel or EN plating) is a nickel-phosphorus coating deposited by an autocatalytic chemical reaction, without electric current. It provides uniform thickness even on complex geometries, high hardness, and strong corrosion and wear resistance—qualities that make it a common choice for precision-engineered parts.

Hydrogen: protection of metal components

Clean energy has become a top priority for governments and industries around the world, as reducing greenhouse gas emissions is essential to limiting the impact of climate change. In this context, hydrogen is emerging as a promising clean energy source for vehicles and beyond.

Corrosion resistance of electroless nickel plating

Difference between electroless nickel plating and electroplated coatings

Electroplated coatings (such as chrome plating, electrolytic nickel plating, zinc plating, zinc-nickel plating) are deposited by applying direct current to the part, which allows the metal to be deposited on the surface of the part to be coated.

Hardness and wear resistance of hard anodizing

Hard anodizing of aluminum is a process that allows creating a layer of aluminum oxide on the material’s surface with hardness and wear resistance properties superior to those of natural or architectural anodizing.

ASTM B733 Electroless Nickel Overview

ASTM B733 - Standard Specification for Autocatalytic (Electroless) Nickel-Phosphorus Coatings on Metal

ASTM B733 is the international standard for electroless nickel plating, mainly used in the United States of America.

Copper-Aluminum Busbars: Ni-P for Solderability & Durability

The term busbar refers to distribution bars used to transfer or distribute electrical energy, typically at high currents. At first glance they are simple components: a “clean” geometry, a defined cross-section, a conductive material. In practice—especially in e-mobility, inverters, battery packs, and power converters—the busbar becomes a critical element because connection performance depends not only on the volume of metal, but on the quality of the surface at the joint areas.

HV to HRC conversion calculator, with HB and Brinell

Hardness of electroless nickel plating: heat treatments

Electroless nickel plating is a surface treatment that uniformly coats the part with an alloy of nickel and phosphorus. Changing the composition of the treatment bath produces types of electroless nickel with different percentages of phosphorus and consequently different characteristics.

Hard anodizing of aluminum

Hard anodizing of aluminum (Type III, covered by ISO 10074) forms a denser, more compact oxide layer than clear/decorative anodizing, intended for wear resistance, hardness and aggressive service conditions. Below: how the process works, how it differs from conventional anodizing, and typical industrial uses of hard-anodized aluminum.

PEO Ceramic Treatments on Magnesium and Aluminum

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, several Russian technologies were investigated by the Western world in the early 90s to assess their industrial applicability. These technologies came from Russian space and military research. Among the surface treatments for metals, electrolytic treatments called Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation PEO, also known as Micro-Arc Oxidation MAO, gained a certain amount of interest, as they made it possible to create an extremely hard and compact oxide layer on aluminum, magnesium and titanium using high-voltage current.

Clear and hard anodizing: Type II vs Type III

This guide compares clear (Type II) anodizing and hard (Type III) anodizing on aluminum: typical thicknesses, ISO 7599 / ISO 10074 and MIL references, and when each treatment is preferred for wear, corrosion or finish.

Electroless nickel plating vs chrome plating

Electroless nickel plating or chrome plating? It depends on the part: hard chrome plating suits simple sliding surfaces under abrasive wear, while electroless nickel gives uniform thickness on complex geometries and can be an alternative where hexavalent chromium is restricted under REACh. Below is a technical comparison of hard chrome, decorative chrome and electroless nickel.

Anodizing and food contact

Aluminum is a metal widely used for the production of items that come into contact with food. Pots, pans, utensils, trays and foil are made of aluminum. Aluminum objects that come into contact with food are often protected through coating/painting or anodizing.

Electroless nickel plating on aluminum

Can aluminum be electroless nickel plated? Yes. Electroless nickel plating is commonly applied to all aluminum alloys to improve corrosion and wear resistance, with uniform thickness. Below: surface limits of aluminum and how electroless nickel compares with anodizing.

Electroless nickel plating designation according to ISO 4527

ISO 4527, “Autocatalytic (electroless) nickel-phosphorus alloy coatings,” is the international standard for electroless nickel coatings. The standard defines a standardized treatment designation, together with the specifications and main characteristics of the treatment to be applied to the parts.

Food contact materials and electroless nickel plating

Nickel is a naturally occurring metallic element with a silvery white, lustrous appearance. It is the 24th most common element on earth and occurs widely distributed in the rocks of the earth’s crust and core.

Pre-treatment dimensional tolerances calculator

With the online calculator presented below, you can determine the dimensional tolerances of shafts and holes.
This tool takes into consideration the coatings applied to mechanical parts, allowing you to calculate the dimensional tolerances needed in pre-treatment machining, in order to ensure the correct tolerance of the finished part after surface treatment.

Factors influencing the corrosion resistance of electroless nickel

Electroless nickel plating is often applied to mechanical parts for its corrosion resistance properties.

The electroless nickel layer has high chemical resistance and uniform thickness. These characteristics make it possible to create a barrier between the base alloy and the external environment, greatly increasing the corrosion resistance of the part.

Self-lubricating electroless nickel coatings

The electroless nickel plating process allows the creation of composite coatings made of functional particles included in a nickel matrix. Through the process, it is possible to incorporate particles into the electroless nickel layer, provided that specific parameters are respected to allow the co-deposition of the particles themselves.

Dimensional tolerances and plating treatments

Customers often have questions about how coatings affect part size. Some of the most common questions are: what is the change in size caused by the coating, should tolerance-controlled holes be masked, and what happens to threads?