EXPERIMENT NO: 03

Name of the Experiment: Electro-less plating of Ni

on steel.

COURSE NO: MME-344

COURSE NAME: Surface Engineering of Materials.

Name: Md Abrar Wasif

Student ID: 1611033
Department: MME
Date of Performance : 19/10/2020.
Date of Submission : 09/11/2020.
Abstract:
Electroless plating has been industrially used for a long time for decorative purposes and to prevent
from corrosion and wearing of the substrate. Various metals can be used to coat different types of
substrate. Ni being commercially cheap, it is widely used in surface engineering. Along with Ni other
expensive metals like Au, Pt, Ag can be used depending on the service application. This experiment
mainly focuses on the electroless coating process of Ni-P on a substrate and the coating properties.

Introduction:
The use of coatings in surface engineering continues to increase in recent decades. Ni-P coatings,
commercially available, combine high wear resistance and adhesion to the substrate. These kinds of
coatings present a uniform thickness and can be used instead of hard chromium, decreasing health and
environment problems.

Electroless nickel plating (EN) is an auto-catalytic reaction that deposits an even layer of nickel-
phosphorus or nickel-boron alloy on the surface of a solid material, or substrate, like metal or plastic.
The process involves dipping the substrate in a bath of plating solution, where a reducing agent, like
hydrated sodium hypophosphite (NaPO2H2 . H2O ), reacts with the material's ions to deposit the nickel
alloy. The process of adding an electroless nickel plating to a metal surface is an autocatalytic chemical
reduction. This means that instead of using an outside source of electricity like in the similar
electroplating process, the electroless nickel plating process uses a chemical bath to deposit a nickel /
phosphorous layer onto the metallic surface. A surface coated in electroless nickel can even be used on
non-conductive surfaces which allows for plating of a wider variety of base materials.

The process of electrodeposition of metals has certain inherent disadvantages as tendency towards
formation of non-uniform coating thickness, excessive build-up on edges, gas porosity and the difficulty
of plating blind holes, internal recesses, etc. without conforming anodes which are often impractical in
real processes. The development of electroless nickel coating solves these shortcomings and is the
answer to many special plating problems. The electroless plating is a unique process that provides a
continuous build-up of metal coating on a substrate by a simple immersion in a suitable aqueous
solution, which may be either acidic or alkaline. Electroless nickel consists of a deposition of an alloy of
approximately 90% nickel and 10% phosphorous. This coating can be applied to steel, Cu, Al and many
non-metals.

Apparatus:
• Hot plate
• Microscope
• Beaker
• Specimen Holder
 • Screw driver
• Thermometer
• Specimen

Required chemical reagents:

• NiSO4 (25 gm/mL)
• NaH2PO2 (25gm/mL)
• NH4OH ( to maintain pH)

Sample:
• Mild Steel substrate.

Methodologies:
1. Both sides of the specimen were polished using emery papers. The specimen was washed by
caustic soda and rinsed with water. It was then pickled in 10% HCl, washed in water and dried by
hot plate. The dried specimen weighed.
2. The specimen was attached to the holder using a screwdriver and placed in the electrolyte
solution (NiSO4 25g/L, NaH2PO2 25 g/L, NH4OH to maintain pH at 8).
3. The temperature of the solution was maintained at 70oC.
4. The specimen was kept in the solution for 1 hour.
5. After an hour, the specimen was taken out, rinsed by water, dried by hot plate and weighed.
6. The weight of the specimen was calculated.
7. The color and quality of the electro less plating was noted.

Calculation:

Volume of solution= 250mL.

NiSO4 required concentration = 25 g/l.

For 250mL, solution NiSO4 required = (250*25)/1000 g= 6.25 g

NiSO4 was applied in the form of NiSO4 . 6H2O.

Molecular weight of NiSO4 . 6H2O= 262.86 g/mol

Molecular weight of NiSO4 =154.76 g/mol

Amount of NiSO4 . 6H2O needed to be applied= (6.25*262.86)/154.76 g= 10.61 g

NaH2PO2 required concentration = 25 g/l.

For 250mL, solution NaH2PO2 required = (250*25)/1000 g= 6.25 g

NaH2PO2 was applied in the form of NaH2PO2 . H2O

Molecular weight of NaH2PO2 . H2O= 105.99 g/mol

Molecular weight of NaH2PO2=88 g/mol

Amount of NaH2PO2 . H2O needed to be applied= (6.25*105.99)/88 g= 7.53 g

Result:

Data Sheet
Group Sample Bath Bath Time(hour) Temperature Uncoated Coated Coating Appearance
No Composition pH (oC) sample sample weight,
(g/L) weight, weight, ∆W=W2-
W1 (g) W2 (g) W1 (g)

All Mild NiSO4 : 25 8.1 1 70 6.8768 6.9390 0.0622 Bright,

steel NaH2PO2 : 25 Continuous
shiny layer.
Discussion:

Figure: Uncoated substrate Figure: Coated substrate

Electrolytic solution of 25 g/L NiSO4 and 25 g/L NaH2PO2 at pH of 8.1 produces a continuous Ni layer on
the mild steel plate. The layer is very thin & has a shiny appearance. It looks homogeneous with very
little amount of porosities & voids at the top portion of the coating.

Conclusion:
Due to COVID-19 situation, the experiment was not performed directly by the students in the
laboratory. In addition, the coating with NiCl4 on substrate & variation of the coating properties with pH
could not be done due to inconvenience. However, an overview of the electroless plating method was
understood.