Category Archives: Corrosion resistant coating

Choose the Right Coating to Maximise Product Optimisation in the Automotive World

The idea of a specialised coating is for the surface of metals to be permanently enhanced by them.  This can be used on other substrates as well and on many components and equipment, too.  These specialised coatings, in effect, act as a deterrent and solve wear, corrosion, lubricant and release problems.   But to choose the best coating for you, the most important things which must be taken in to consideration is the operating environment.

Put a Coat on!

Surface coating usage has grown enormously in the automotive industry over the last fifty years.  Initially, the internal combustion engine was usually manufactured from cast iron, forged steels and die-cast aluminium alloys – Heat treatment provided the wear surface for these elements along with white metal or bronze bearings.  They were oiled and lubricated to allowance clearance between moving surfaces.  Half a century later, this method is still used today, though we need and expect more out of our cars.  We expect them to last longer, drive considerably more substantial distances and we need them to abide by our emissions regulations now, too – no mean feat!  In case that wasn’t enough, we expect our cars to do all of this with less fuel and lighter engines which have a lower tolerance to engineering and lower friction between their moving parts.  Due to this, a wider range of materials and coating variety have been required by us all, so that the wear, corrosion and friction problems and expectations could be overcome.

Automotive Parts and Protective Coatings

Piston rings, skirts and pins are coated frequently by hard-wearing, low friction coatings.  This is to help the initial running-in and advocates long-life performance.  It also helps with lower oil lubrication levels which are commonly associated with cold engine starts and reduces the amount of lubricant allowed to enter the combustion chamber.  Ceramic coatings provide the thermal insulation of piston crowns, usually in diesel engines, where increased and high temperature thermal spray or vacuum use methods are often practiced.

Mating cylinder linings can be coated with electrolytic or electroless plated composite finished which incorporate hard particles of silicon carbide, diamond or boron nitride.  The engines design and performance influence are what enable the design engineer to make the coating choice.

Bio fuels have caused a large amount of corrosive issues with the fuel input systems, fuel storage and fuel delivery systems.  There are a great array of thin coatings which can be applied to these areas in order to prevent corrosion from occurring such as electroless nickel plating which is often enhanced with the use of powder coating or e-coat top coats.

Contact us

us are leading suppliers who are experts in electroless nickel plating.  We are a Derbyshire based company who undertake many processes to the highest spec for you.  These include diffused nickel plating, shot blasting, nickel boron plating, nickel diamond plating and so much more.  So, if you are interested in finding out more about these processes then give our friendly and professional staff a call on our phone number or .  Alternatively, you can click here and go directly to our website to find out more about us and our processes.

 

Choose the Right Coating to Maximise Product Optimisation in the Automotive World

The idea of a specialised coating is for the surface of metals to be permanently enhanced by them.  This can be used on other substrates as well and on many components and equipment, too.  These specialised coatings, in effect, act as a deterrent and solve wear, corrosion, lubricant and release problems.   But to choose the best coating for you, the most important things which must be taken in to consideration is the operating environment.

Put a Coat on!

Surface coating usage has grown enormously in the automotive industry over the last fifty years.  Initially, the internal combustion engine was usually manufactured from cast iron, forged steels and die-cast aluminium alloys – Heat treatment provided the wear surface for these elements along with white metal or bronze bearings.  They were oiled and lubricated to allowance clearance between moving surfaces.  Half a century later, this method is still used today, though we need and expect more out of our cars.  We expect them to last longer, drive considerably more substantial distances and we need them to abide by our emissions regulations now, too – no mean feat!  In case that wasn’t enough, we expect our cars to do all of this with less fuel and lighter engines which have a lower tolerance to engineering and lower friction between their moving parts.  Due to this, a wider range of materials and coating variety have been required by us all, so that the wear, corrosion and friction problems and expectations could be overcome.

Automotive Parts and Protective Coatings

Piston rings, skirts and pins are coated frequently by hard-wearing, low friction coatings.  This is to help the initial running-in and advocates long-life performance.  It also helps with lower oil lubrication levels which are commonly associated with cold engine starts and reduces the amount of lubricant allowed to enter the combustion chamber.  Ceramic coatings provide the thermal insulation of piston crowns, usually in diesel engines, where increased and high temperature thermal spray or vacuum use methods are often practiced.

Mating cylinder linings can be coated with electrolytic or electroless plated composite finished which incorporate hard particles of silicon carbide, diamond or boron nitride.  The engines design and performance influence are what enable the design engineer to make the coating choice.

Bio fuels have caused a large amount of corrosive issues with the fuel input systems, fuel storage and fuel delivery systems.  There are a great array of thin coatings which can be applied to these areas in order to prevent corrosion from occurring such as electroless nickel plating which is often enhanced with the use of powder coating or e-coat top coats.

Contact us

us are leading suppliers who are experts in electroless nickel plating.  We are a Derbyshire based company who undertake many processes to the highest spec for you.  These include diffused nickel plating, shot blasting, nickel boron plating, nickel diamond plating and so much more.  So, if you are interested in finding out more about these processes then give our friendly and professional staff a call on our phone number or .  Alternatively, you can click here and go directly to our website to find out more about us and our processes.

 

The Importance of Salt Spray Testing to Ensure Corrosion Resistance

Coatings such as diffused nickel plating provide superior corrosion resistance to components. Choosing the right material and protective coating is essential when a component will be used in an extreme environment. But it’s absolutely crucial to assess the reliability of a product in order to make sure that it will survive in its working environment – that’s where salt spray testing is useful.

Mining equipment suffering from rust and corrosion

Ensure Component Reliability with Salt Spray Testing

The assurance of product reliability is of the utmost importance if you want to keep your customers happy. Without proper testing, you run the risk of components failing, which is not only annoying, it is expensive and potentially dangerous too. Product failure could also potentially damage the company’s reputation and may compromise its position in the market place.

Accelerated Corrosion Testing

Here at us, we use salt spray testing as a standard test method to check the corrosion resistance of coated samples which may be prone to suffering from degradation as a result of salt corrosion.

The salt spray test is an accelerated corrosion test that produces a corrosive environment for the coated samples in order to predict its suitability in use as a protective finish. It creates a saturated water vapour atmosphere containing sulphur dioxide, enabling us to determine the resistance of the sample, ensuring its longevity and reliability.

Checking the Corrosion Resistance of Diffused Nickel Plated Samples

As the test provides conditions that accelerate the process of corrosion, it means that instead of testing a product in real time, which will take an enormous amount of time, the same effect can be recreated in a relatively short space of time.

Salt Spray and Kesternich Testing Services at us

To find out more about our salt spray testing and Kesternich testing services, please contact us or email . Please note that the Kesternich testing service from us is available to customers worldwide, as samples can be delivered to our metal plating factory in Chesterfield from abroad by DHL.

Diffused Nickel Plating for Pipeline End Fittings

The use of diffused nickel plating on pipeline end fittings is a fantastic option for protecting them against corrosion.

This simple plating technique is proven to be more corrosion resistant than the highest grade stainless steel, and far cheaper, which is why it is often used on subsea projects and on and offshore applications.

Superior Corrosion Resistance

As experts in metal plating and finishing, us have tested the corrosion resistance of diffused nickel plated components through independent salt spray testing. During the experiment, no corrosion at all was detected, meaning that it was abandoned. In fact, diffused nickel plating is so resistant to corrosion, especially in marine environments, that our customers have given mild steel plated with diffused nickel plating 30 year sub-sea guarantees.

What are the Benefits of Diffused Electroless Nickel Plating?

  • Huge cost saving implications compared to other plating techniques or stainless steel
  • Greatly enhanced performance when compared to even the highest grade stainless steel
  • Superior corrosion resistance for subsea and offshore applications

Nickel Plating: The Perfect Metal Coating to Protect Brake Calipers from Corrosion and Wear

Brake calipers are one of the most important parts of the breaking system of a car. They are a necessity in the process that allows your car to stop, therefore it is essential for them to be hardwearing and long lasting. As vital parts of a car’s breaking system, calipers squeeze the brake pads against the surface of the brake rotor in order to slow or stop the vehicle.

How do Brake Calipers Work?

In a disc-braking system the car’s wheels are attached to metal discs, or rotors, that spin along with the wheels. The brake caliper’s job is to slow down the wheels of the car by creating friction with the rotors. The brake caliper itself fits over the rotor like a clamp, and inside it is a pair of metal plates which have been bonded with friction material called brake pads.

Corrosion and Wear Protection

Nickel plated coatings are excellent at protecting steel from corrosion and wear. Electroless nickel plating is used in a variety of applications to extend the life of components, therefore, it is the perfect metal plating technique for brake calipers. Brake calipers are also exposed to a variety of difficult environments, for example heat, cold, summer, winter, snow and salt. Therefore, a corrosion resistant coating on brake calipers is very important to ensure the longevity of the cars braking system.

Nickel Plating on Bumpers, Wheels and Grilles

Electroless nickel can also be used on the bumpers, wheels and grilles of a car. The use of nickel plating on parts such as these is partly due to the fact that it looks good with its shine and bright finish. But nickel also provides excellent corrosion resistance, durability and wear resistance, as is often demanded by makers of vehicles.

Nickel plating is the perfect solution to creating hard wearing, corrosion resistant brake calipers as a nickel coating is a very effective way of coating and protecting steel. If you would like to find out more about our electroless nickel plating and other metal plating services, why not ‘Like’ the us Facebook page or follow @nickelplating on Twitter for regular news, pictures and case studies. Alternatively, please call the us team , email  or get in touch via our contact page.

The Advantages of Corrosion Resistant Coatings

Corrosion and rust can have a catastrophic effect on the safety of a variety of equipment used in the automotive, oil and gas, and engineering industry. And it’s not just the safety of this equipment that’s a problem, corrosion and rust can also affect the reliability and efficiency of the equipment too.

What is Corrosion?

Corrosion occurs when a metal or alloy is attacked by agents in the surrounding atmosphere. This reaction causes the surface of the material to disintegrate into an oxide or sulphide, or even the dissolution of the material into the surrounding environment.

How Do Corrosion Resistant Coatings Work?

There are many things that can degrade metal components, such as exposure to chemicals, oxidation, moisture and salt spray. Corrosion resistant coatings protect the metal from this degradation by providing a barrier between the component and the corrosive material.

The advantages of using components that are resistant to corrosion are numerous.  They can increase the life of a component as they prevent the formation of rust on a part, in turn stopping the part from becoming a catalyst for rust formation on surrounding parts. This, therefore,  prevents part on part rusting and removing the risk of one part affecting the final assembly.

What are the Benefits of Corrosion Resistant Coatings?

Coatings which possess anti-corrosive properties such as electroless nickel plating and diffused nickel plating ensure that metal components have the longest possible life by inhibiting the effect of chemicals, moisture and salt spray etc.

Another benefit of an anti-corrosion coating is that they can tolerate extended periods in extreme conditions such as fluctuations in temperature, exposure to hostile elements and extreme moisture and damp. The use of corrosion resistant plating before the part is exposed to corrosion can reduce costs and delays due to replacement of parts.

Electroless Nickel Corrosion Resistant Coating

Electroless nickel is a uniform coating that is the perfect solution for critical high-end engineering items used in the defence, healthcare, automotive and aerospace industries.

It is very resistant to corrosion and will therefore extend the life of everything it coats. This makes it ideal for coating parts exposed to harsh environments such as those operating in the marine, oil and gas and defence industries. Therefore, it can reduce the cost of repair and replacement parts.

The process of electroless nickel plating is a great way to prevent corrosion from occurring on parts used in the automotive, oil and gas, and engineering industry. Contact us today on 0845 2243571 or email 

Underwater Corrosion Protection for the Oil and Gas Industry

As experts in coatings that provide high levels of underwater corrosion resistance, our services are used for a variety of applications in the oil and gas industry. Components and parts used in such industries are exposed to extremely harsh and demanding environments. As such, corrosion problems occur related to sea water, aggressive chemicals, galling and seizure of threads and wear protection.

Industry Leaders in Metal Coatings for Oil and Gas

Here at us, we are industry leaders in metal coatings that provide underwater corrosion protection for the oil and gas industry. We have extensive expertise in characterising and understanding the process of wear and corrosion, so that we can work with our customers to ensure that the most effective metal coating solution is identified and carried out.

Salt Spray Testing

We also have our very own laboratory on site that specialises in salt spray testing, which can effectively assess the reliability of a product by simulating these environments, therefore ensuring that the coating will survive in the environment it is intended for. The standard salt spray test method is used to check the corrosion resistance of coated samples, substrates, and components which may be prone to suffering from degradation as a result of salt corrosion. We have the facilities to carry out salt spray testing to the specification of ASTM B117.

Marine Corrosion Protection Coating

Our product SeaTEC 100 is an industry leading product that protects mild steel from salt spray corrosion and marine corrosion for an extensive period of time. The coating is ideal for use in sub-sea conditions and can be used to increase the longevity of components used in subsea conditions. SeaTEC 100 effectively increases the strength of items such as pipeline connectors, where the material is at its weakest level, and has been independently tested to withstand salt spray conditions for over 25,000 hours, a period of time that is unprecedented within this industry. It effectively plates metal components, valves and connectors, making SeaTEC100 a cost-effective way of extending the life of mild-steel operating in marine environments.

SeaTEC 100 Marine Corrosion Protection

For more information about underwater corrosion resistance SeaTEC 100 and its ability to extend the life of parts exposed to subsea conditions, please contact the expert team at us by calling our phone number or email us at .

Explaining the Process of Electroless Nickel Plating

Here at us, our metal finishing experts regularly carry out the process of electroless nickel plating. As professional electroless nickel platers, we have put together a step by step guide that will explain the process of electroless nickel plating and how it works.

Unlike electroplating, there is no need to pass an electric current through the bath of chemical solution to initiate the plating process. The metal surface instead goes through a series of cleaning and auto-catalytic reactions, described below.

Pre-treatment Process

Before the process of electroless nickel plating can begin, the surface of the substrate goes through a pre-treatment process. During this process it is cleaned with a series of chemicals which remove oils and other corrosive elements from the surface of the metal.

Activation of the Substrate

Once the substrate has been cleaned sufficiently, it can be activated with an acid etch or proprietary solution which prepares the surface for a deposit of the plating material.

Corrosion Resistant Coating

Once the plating process has been carried out, the electroless nickel coating has the result of making the component highly corrosion resistant. A coating of this type will provide superior corrosion protection in a number of environments where corrosion resistance is necessary for the longevity of the part and protection of the component. Electroless nickel acts as a barrier coating that protects the substrate underneath by providing a pore free barrier coating against the corrosive environment.

Choosing an EN Coating Based on the Nature of the Corrosive Environment

When selecting a type of electroless nickel coating for optimum performance, it’s important to consider the nature of the corrosive environment and the deposit’s resistance to corrosion through environmental factors.

Optimising the Performance of Electroless Nickel Coatings

In order for the performance of electroless nickel coatings to be optimised for maximum corrosion protection, the coating must provide a number of properties. For example, the electroless nickel coating must be continuous and free of any microporosity, roughness, nodules and irregularities within the microstructure.

UK Based Metal Finishing and Metal Hardening Company

For more information about electroless nickel plating and how it can be used to provide superior corrosion resistance, please visit the us website, call our friendly staff for advice on +44 (0)845 224 3571 or email

Corrosion Resistant Coatings for Marine Environments

Mining equipment suffering from rust and corrosion

Corrosion can be a big problem for parts and machinery operating in marine environments. Mild steel is commonly used for marine applications due to its strength, ease of fabrication and relatively cheap price.

The only problem is, it corrodes very easily when exposed to seawater. So when mild steel isn’t protected by a corrosion resistant layer or barrier, it quickly loses its strength and can, therefore, result in failure of parts.

What is Corrosion?

Corrosion is the gradual destruction of materials by chemical reaction with their environment. It is the oxidisation of the metal at the interface between the metal and the environment, and the reaction results in the degradation of the mechanical properties of the metal. Corrosion is dependent on many factors, including oxygen concentration, pH, water temperature and the presence of dissolved salts such as chloride, sulphate and sulphites.

Pitting Corrosion

Pitting corrosion is a type of corrosion that occurs on mild steel in a localised fashion. The steel penetration can be very deep in relation to the area under attack, and it is therefore one of the most dangerous types of corrosion.

Bacterial Corrosion

Bacterial corrosion can also be referred to as micro-biological corrosion or anaerobic (without oxygen) corrosion. This type of corrosion is likely to happen if the environment that the metal is exposed to supports bacterial activity. For bacterial corrosion to occur, there must be stagnant water, a hydrocarbon food source e.g. oil or coatings, the presence of sulphates, an operating temperature of between 20 – 40C, and the presence of bacteria.

Corrosion Prevention Using Metal Coatings

The prevention of corrosion requires the elimination or suppression of the chemical reaction between the environment and the metal. One way of preventing this reaction is by applying a metal coating to the surface of the substrate, and the effectiveness of the coating depends on factors including the type of coating used, the operating environment and the coating type.

SeaTEC 100 Marine Corrosion Protection

Here at us, we have developed a corrosion resistant metal coating that effectively protects mild steel from salt spray corrosion and marine corrosion for an extensive period of time. For more information about SeaTEC 100 and its ability to extend the life of parts exposed to subsea conditions, please contact the expert team at us by calling our phone number or email us at .