Electroless nickel, a process for autocatalytic or electroless nickel-phosphorus alloy deposition, is used as corrosion protection or functional coating in many areas of application. Almost all metals, but also many non-conductors such as plastics or oxide ceramics, can be electroless nickel-plated and thus made particularly resistant.
The chemical composition influences many properties of the coatings. In order to achieve comparability between different methods, a basic understanding of any calibration samples and the physical and chemical measurement principles is essential. A presentation will therefore compare and discuss measurement volumes, measurement inaccuracies, advantages and disadvantages of typical analysis methods.
For some years now, single-component chemical nickel systems have offered a promising alternative to conventional multi-component systems. Another presentation will analyse the potential advantages and disadvantages of both approaches, based on comprehensive practical data and real application examples.
Due to current trends towards the replacement of Cr(VI) processes, there is a need to develop processes with Cr(III) compounds. One promising method for producing Cr coatings is electroless deposition. Here, the reduction from Cr(III) electrolytes takes place autocatalytically without an external electric field using a reducing agent. In the IGF project presented here, which was supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, various electrolytes based on organic Cr(III) complexes were produced and characterised. Combinations of organic Cr(III) complexes with hypophosphite yielded promising initial results.
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