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Electroless Nickel Plating, I need a better understanding

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WH74

Mechanical
Joined
Jan 9, 2008
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53
Location
US
As I understand it there are basically two methods or processes to do Electroless Nickel Plating. The end results are the same but the process to get there it what is different. One process requires more prep work and uses more environmentally friendly chemicals the other is less work but uses less environmentally friendly chemicals. But the end cost is similar.

Am I correct in understanding this?

Also, I have a part that was supposedly Electroless Nickel Plated buy looking at a cross section of the plating its layers from the aluminum base of nickel, thick copper, nickel, thin copper, and then thick nickel. Also this part the plating thickness for all the layers is not uniformly thick. I have thickness variation from 75 µ-in to 1150 µ-in.

My limited exposure and experience with Electroless Nickel Plating tells me this isn't Electroless but rather Electrolytic plating (Maybe something lost in translation with a foreign vendor). Does this seem correct? Also is Electroless Nickel Plating done with layers like i have?

Thanks

 
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