TECHNICAL SERVICE PROCEDURE FOR ELECTROLESS NICKEL:
CHEMSHIELD PROCESS
CONDITION CAUSE
1. No deposit and a. Low temperature.
or slow plating
rate
b. Low pH.
c. Poor Cleaning or wrong
pretreatment cycle for
various alloys and metals.
Possible source of metallic
impurities.
d. Metallic impurities –
Cd,Pb,Zn or Sn. Also look
for cross contamination
from other processes.
e. Organic impurities.
f. Too high stabilizer
concentration.
g. Bath loading too low.
h. High orthophosphite
(breakdown product)
content.
i. Too low a nickel
concentration.
j. Too low hypophosphite
concentration.
2.Skip Plating, a. Improper cleaning.
poor coverage, edge
pullback and
REMEDY
a. Adjust temperature.
b. Adjust pH .
c. Define if cleaning
cycle is appropriate or
chemically adjusted to
optimum operating
levels. May need 2%
Ammonium predip.
d. Plate out/dummy or
dilute solution.
e. Dilute/discard or
carbon treat.
f. Dilute/discard or
dummy if possible.
g. Increase workload to
a minimum of
0.25ft 2/gal.
h. Discard and replace.
i. Analyze and adjust
nickel concentration.
j. Analyze and adjust
hypophosphite
concentration.
a. Temperature should
be checked as well as
all other parameters
Technical Service Procedure for ChemShield Products
frosted edges.
b. Improper Activation.
2.Skip Plating,
poor coverage, edge
pullback and
frosted edges.
c. Improper rinsing.
d. Metallic contamination.
e. Organic contamination.
f. Too much air agitation.
3. Excessive plate a. High temperature.
out
b. High pH.
c. Additive imbalance.
d. Tank not stripped
properly before new make
up.
4. Streaks in a. Gas streaks from
Deposit position of work.
b. Silicate Drag-in.
c. Poor rinsing.
d. Improper cleaning.
e. High concentration of
metals.
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associated with
pretreatment solutions.
b. Activators should be
checked for proper
parameters and
potential metallic
contaminates.
c. Rinse temperature
and rinsing time should
be checked.
d. Bath should be
dummied, or discarded
and replaced.
e. Bath should be
cooled, carbon treated
filtered. Rinses should
be checked for residual
drag in.
f. Air agitation should
be reduced.
a. Adjust temperature.
b. Adjust pH with
dilute H2SO4.
c. Analyze and adjust.
d. Pump solution out of
tank and strip tank
with >25% nitric acid
until all nickel plate
out is removed from
tank.
a. Either solution or
work rod agitation
should be provided.
Work should be
repositioned and/or
agitation should be
increased.
b. Non-Silicated
cleaners should be
used.
c. Process cycle should
be checked, rinsing
improved.
d. Cleaning and/or
rinses should be
improved.
e. Bath should be
dummied to remove
metals. Bath may have
to be discarded and
replaced with new
Technical Service Procedure for ChemShield Products
f. Organic contamination.
g. Poor agitation.
4. Streaks in h. Low surface area.
Deposit
i. Low reducer content.
j. Too much agitation.
k. Too much complexor.
5. Bath becomes a. Poor mixing of bath
Turbid after solution additions.
b. High pH.
c. Excessive hypophosphite
added.
d. Impurities from air.
e. Impurites from water.
f. Old plating bath.
g. Impurities from
pretreatment.
6. Non-uniform a. Organic contamination.
deposition
b. Metallic impurities (Al
& Zn).
c. Poor cleaning or
activation.
d. Poor agitation.
7. Rough deposits a. Poor filtration and
improper removal of
particulates.
b. Make-up solution added
too quickly or mixed
together.
c. Residual magnetism in
the work.
d. Over-active plating
Page 3
solution.
f. Bath should be
carbon treated and
filtered, or discarded
and replaced with new
solution.
g. Air agitation should
be increased, or a
different air pattern
developed.
h. Surface area should
be increased to
recommended ranges.
i. Reducer should be
checked and adjusted.
j. Agitation should be
reduced.
k. Complexor should be
reduced.
Make addition more
slowly into tank and
allow to mix.
b. Adjust pH with
dilute H2SO4.
c. Check ratio of
nickel to
hypophosphite.
d. Use a clean air
filter and check for
area of air input.
e. Use Deionized water.
f. Discard.
g. Improve rinsing.
a. Dilute or Carbon
treat.
b. Dummy/dilute.
c. Examine pretreatment
solutions and cycle.
d. Examine movement
from air and filter.
a. Bath should be
filtered 10 times per
hour with a minimum of
a 5 µm filter.
b. Make additions more
slowly/separately and
evenly distribute
through out the tank.
c. Have supplier
demagnetize parts.
d. Slow plating rate
Technical Service Procedure for ChemShield Products
bath.
e. Bath contaminated with
air-borne partials.
f. Poor pretreatment.
g. Additive imbalance.
h. Plate out of plastic
tank not stripped properly.
i. Plate out of stainless
steel tank not properly
passivated or anodically
protected.
8. Poor adhesion a. Poor or incorrect
pretreatment.
b. Old/contaminated bath.
c. Metallic impurities.
9. High consumption a. High temperature.
of additives
b. High pH.
c. High Bath loading.
d. Additive imbalance.
10. Dark, dull or a. Low pH.
streaking deposits.
b. Organic contamination.
c. Metallic impurities.
d. Poor cleaning or
activation.
e. Post treatment
contamination.
f. Bath loading too low.
g. Additive imbalance.
h. High or low pH
11. Pitting a. Organic contamination.
b. Metallic impurities.
c. Poor cleaning or
activation.
d. Poor solution agitation.
e. Hard Water
Page 4
down. i.e. low temp
and/ or pH.
e. Trace source and
eliminate.
f. Examine
pretreatment solutions
and cycle.
g. Analyze and adjust.
h. Strip with >25%
nitric acid.
i. Increase passivation
time with a >25% nitric
acid solution or set
potential to 0.8 V.
a. Test and correct.
May need 2% Ammonium
predip.
b. Discard.
c. Dummy or discard.
a. Adjust temperature.
b. Adjust pH.
c. Reduce Plating Area.
d. Analyze and adjust.
a. Adjust pH .
b. Dilute or Carbon
treat.
c. Dummy/dilute.
d. Examine pretreatment
solutions and cycle.
e. Raise the pH between
8-9 in the rinses
following the plating
tank with Ammonium
Hydroxide.
f. Increase workload to
a minimum of
0.25ft 2/gal.
g. Analyze and adjust.
H. Ph should be
adjusted with acid or
alkali.
a. Dilute or Carbon
treat.
b. Dummy/dilute.
c. Examine pretreatment
solutions and cycle.
d. Increase solution
agitation.
e. Use D.I in the
pretreatment cycle.
Technical Service Procedure for ChemShield Products
f. Excessive bath activity.
g. Base metal pitted.
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f. pH should be lowered
g. Base metal should be
check after each step
in the plating cycle.

DEFINITIONS OF ELECTROLESS NICKEL REMEDYS

BATH LOADING

This is the ratio of work area plated verse the volume of the EN
solution. Optimum situation is 0.5ft 2 of work plated for every gallon of
EN solution.

Total Surface Area ÷ Tank Volume = Bath Loading

pH ADJUSTMENT

Typically, during normal operations, the pH is adjusted upwards with

ammonium hydroxide diluted with DI water (1:1). However, lower the pH
with a dilute sulfuric acid (1:4) and DI water mix is not common and the
source of the high pH should be investigated.

CLEANING

Examine and compare the concentrations, temperature and other parameters

stated in the technical bulletin of the pretreatment products. Also,
ensure that the substrates or base metals are used with the correct
pretreatment cycle. Most of the problems associated with an electroless
nickel solution can be located in the pretreatment cycle.

DUMMY

This term is use as reference for scrap work put into an electroless
nickel solution for the purpose of plating out the impurities and
discarding them in the deposit. Dummying will remove copper, zinc and
some organics.

CARBON TREATMENT

In a separate storage tank, add 1-4 pounds of activated carbon for every
100 gallons of room temperature electroless nickel solution. Filter back
the solution and remove any trace of carbon particles. Caution – first
carbon treat the EN solution in a beaker and test in the lab before
resuming production. Carbon treatment may remove some stablizers.

ADDITIVE ADJUSTMENTS

Do not make a single addition that requires more than a 15% add back.
Addition above this amount should be broken up and put into the bath
during a reasonable time frame. This will depend on the normal usage and
addition rate of the additives.
Technical Service Procedure for ChemShield Products Page 6

Chemtech Finishing Systems, Inc
23177 Commerce Drive
Farmington Hills, MI 48335
Telephone: 248-478-5200
Fax: 248-478-6810
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to date. This information is not to be taken as warranty or representation for which we assume
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Chemtech Finishing Systems, Inc.