Tag Archives: metal coatings

Rising Base Metals Rocketing to the Top?

Base metals are essential in the growth of the infrastructure, manufacturing and utilities sector of the UK.  The mining of base metals refers to major industrial non-ferrous metals like nickel, copper, tin and aluminium.  It is the dramatically increasing energy and urbanisation demand which are making the need for the metals rise, as well as the fact that they are used for automotive systems, metal coatings, electrical systems and make many goods more durable.  But will fluctuating prices negatively impact the base metal market?

 

Nickel Plating is Key

In 2019, Lead-zinc accounted for 24% of the global market and copper accounted for 16%.  Zinc was popular due to its specific characteristics, such as its unique bonding abilities with other metals, anti-corrosive properties and it has the ability to galvanise well.  The attributes have boosted its use considerably.  Copper is predicted to rise, forecast until 2023, thanks to its proven strength in the infrastructure sector.  The use of tin is also set to rise through the use of tin coating for electronic components in the automotive sector.  However, the most interesting sales increase seems to be a very specific area of the Nickel world to increase its sales – this seems to be nickel plating – though the reasons or sectors remain unspecified.

 

Information Regarding Nickel Plating

There are two types of Nickel Plating – Electroless Nickel Plating (ENP) and Diffused Nickel Plating.

Diffused Nickel Plating is a simple process which is the most effective nickel coating, ensuring a high resistance level against corrosion.  This is thanks to its total encapsulation plating method.  It has been proven that their corrosion resistance is more effective than that of the highest grade stainless steel, whilst at the same time being much cheaper.  Diffused Nickel Plating is the perfect plating method if your components are used in marine or salt environments.  This gives them a 30 year sub-sea guarantee.

In a similar way, Electroless Nickel Plating is a high quality but cost effective solution to metal coating which can extend the longevity of components dramatically.  It is creates a good resistance against corrosion and is often used in marine, oil and defence industries.    Electroless Nickel Plating prevents rust, wear and friction.  It can also be hardened through the use of heat treatment and is guaranteed not to chip or flake, like paint or varnish does.

Electroless Nickel Plating and Diffused Nickel Plating

A question often asked is…What is the different between the two types of Nickel Plating?  The basic answer is very simple – the plating processes used are very different.

It has already been deciphered that Diffused Nickel Plating occurs when the encapsulation plating method is performed but this is not the same as Electroless Nickel Plating.  The process for this occurs when a layer of even thickness metal is deposited evenly over the surface of a component, no matter what its shape.  The uniformity in its coating means that it is the perform plating method for components which are used in particular industries, such as Healthcare, Defence, Automotive and Aerospace, where the components are often not standard, need to be hygienic, regularly cleaned and are under constant stress.

5 Things You Need to Know about Electroless Nickel Plating

As specialists in electroless nickel plating, us have put together 5 things we think you need to know about the process!

Auto-Catalytic Chemical Reaction

Electroless nickel plating is an auto-catalytic chemical reaction used to deposit nickel onto a wide range of substrates. It uses a solution containing nickel phosphorous alloy, which can be specially tailored to suit the application it is being used for.

Can be Applied to Range of Substrates

Electroless nickel can be applied to wide range of substrates, including the following:

  • Aluminium and aluminium alloys
  • Copper and copper alloys
  • Ferrous and stainless metals
  • Beryllium copper
  • Zinc
  • Titanium

Superior Corrosion and Wear Resistance

Electroless nickel plating has many key properties that make it an excellent choice for any metal plating project. For example, electroless nickel coatings are incredibly corrosion and wear resistant, as well as being very hard.

Accurate, Uniform Deposit

Electroless nickel plating provides a highly accurate and uniform deposit onto the surface of a component, regardless of the complexity of the part. It can easily plate sharp angles and curves, deep holes and recesses, making it a fantastic choice of plating for unusually complex parts.

Applications for Electroless Nickel Plating

Typical applications for electroless nickel plating include valves, pumps, mould tools, gears, sprockets and splined shafts, and electronic components. The process has been widely used throughout most engineering disciplines; especially automotive, offshore, defence, aerospace, petrochemical, electronics, plastics and nuclear. It is highly recommended for offshore applications as it offers the very best levels of protection.

Nickel Use in Rocket Engines and Aerospace

Nickel coatings are often used in the aerospace and aircraft industry because they are an effective corrosion resistant coating at high temperatures.

This means that they are capable of protecting airfoil components from abrasion and erosion by providing a surface coating that will allow high nickel/chromium alloy parts to be joined by brazing or welding, to produce nickel or nickel alloy components for space applications and to repair worn or damaged components.

By repairing parts rather than replacing them, they can continue to be used rather that scrapped.

Nickel and alloys of nickel are often used for space applications.

Electroless nickel coatings are used in the Aerospace industry for space applications:

  • Docking
  • Cargo bays
  • Rudder mechanisms of the NASA Space Shuttle

Nickel electroforming has also been used in the space program. It has been used to produce lightweight precision parts for rocket engines, such as:

  • Waveguides
  • Antennae
  • Bellows
  • Heat shields
  • Thrust chambers

High precision electroformed nickel bellows are widely used in the aerospace industry, as electroforming is often the only practical and most economical method. These parts are used for:

  • Flexible electromagnetic interference shielding
  • Metallic hermetic seals
  • Volume compensators
  • Temperature and pressure sensors
  • Flexible couplings

Whether it is electroless nickel plating, diffused nickel plating, or copper plating, the staff at us will ensure that you receive the right service for your industry. To make an inquiry or request more information, please visit our contact page at http://www.electroless-nickel-plating.co.uk/enquire-electroless-nickel-plating-corrosion-resistance-copper-plating.php

How Are Nickel Coatings Used in Aircraft?

Nickel coatings are often used on various parts of aircraft due to its fantastic properties of corrosion resistance and hardness. Needless to say, the Aircraft industry has an ongoing need for nickel plating.

Electroless nickel plating is used in the Aircraft industry to provide:

  • Corrosion resistance at high temperatures to protect airfoil components from erosion and abrasion.
  • Provides a coating that will allow high nickel/chromium alloy parts to be joined by brazing or welding.
  • To repair worn or damaged components so that they can continue to be used rather than scrapped.

Electroless nickel coatings have been used on the following aircraft parts:

  • Bearing journals
  • Servo valves
  • Compressor blades
  • Turbine blades
  • Pistons
  • Engine shafts
  • Engine mounts
  • Landing gear
  • Hydraulic and manifold systems
  • Gyroscope components and optics

For more information about the use of electroless nickel plating in the Aircraft industry, please contact the staff at us or email: 

Nickel Plating Services in the Automotive Industry

Electroformed, electroplated and electroless nickel is commonly used in the automotive industry.

One of the biggest and most obvious uses of nickel is the use on bumpers, wheels and grilles. 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 and Industry Warranties

Nickel plating is a great way of metal hardening and can protect components for decades, which is obviously great news for the automotive industry because it means that manufacturers can offer industry warranties.  High quality plated components can be produced in bulk, with consistency and reliability.

The automotive industry is the biggest user of nickel for plating applications. Steel bumpers are very popular as they look great, and they are also very durable. Substrate materials include steel, aluminium and plastic. The benefit of using nickel plating on substrates such as these is that they are relatively cheap, and with a layer of nickel plating they can be made extremely durable.

Environmental Benefits of Nickel

Nickel plating lightweight materials such as aluminium and plastic is also beneficial because lightweight parts on a vehicle improve fuel efficiency. It’s also better for the environment for parts to have a longer life as it reduces scrap. Also, plated components can be recycled, which is good for the European auto industry as their objective is to produce vehicles that are completely recyclable.

If you would like to find out more about metal hardening and metal corrosion protection, or the use of nickel plating in the automotive industry , why not ‘Like’ the us Facebook page or follow @nickelplating on Twitter for regular news, pictures and case studies.

 

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 .

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 .

Factory Extension and New Plating Line To Create 5 New Jobs at us

After an eventful 2019, this year is set to be equally as exciting here at us. We are pleased to have received planning permission to have an extension built onto our metal finishing factory, which will create an extra 3,000 square foot of space.

This extension will allow us to be able to install a 7th electroless nickel plating line, meaning that we will be able to respond even more quickly to our customers’ plating needs.

Specialist electroless nickel plating line

This specialist electroless nickel plating line will create 5 new jobs at us, and will be in full operation in February 2019. We will also have a state of the art crane installed over the plating line which will allow us to handle components of up to 20 tonnes.

Commercial Director Marcus Hill said: “The market is growing rapidly and our new plating line means that we can accommodate more work in response to this growth. We are really pleased to be able to respond even more quickly to our customers’ plating needs.”

Experts in the metal finishing process

us have more than 30 years of experience specialising in the electroless nickel plating process, and a comprehensive range of metal finishing processes and techniques. We also offer a variety of surface treatments including electroless nickel plating, diffused nickel plating, copper plating, shot blasting and heat treatment. For more information, please call us or email