Zinc-nickel plating is a process that deposits a layer of zinc-nickel alloy on a metal substrate using electroplating techniques. The alloy is stronger and more durable than zinc alone. Barrel and rack plating are common methods, with barrel plating producing more uniform results.
Zinc-nickel plating is a process by which a layer of a zinc-nickel compound is deposited on a metal substrate. The use of the zinc-nickel alloy helps protect these other materials while increasing their aesthetic desirability. This alloy is applied to other metals using various electroplating techniques, including barrel plating and rack plating.
The basic process for zinc-nickel plating is electroplating. This technique uses a chemical bath and an electrical system with anode and cathode. The zinc and nickel plates must be dissolved in a chemical bath before they can form a plate of a zinc and nickel compound. The solutions can be highly acidic or highly basic and commonly consist of a chloride or a cyanide.
Once the zinc and nickel have dissolved, electricity is applied to the system. At one end of the tank is the anode, through which electricity enters the system. On the other side is the cathode, through which electricity leaves the system. Zinc and nickel ions are generally negatively charged and attracted to the positively charged cathode. Over time, they stick to the cathode and zinc-nickel plating forms.
The zinc-nickel plating that forms through the electroplating process usually consists of more zinc than nickel. The amount of zinc in the compound is usually between 85% and 95%, with the remainder of the compound being nickel. This alloy is stronger and more durable than zinc alone.
Nickel plating can be done in barrel or rack. In both of these processes, the material to be plated with the zinc-nickel alloy is placed in an electrified solution. The zinc-nickel plating is grown on the surface of the material as in traditional electroplating.
Barrel plating is often used to plate many small parts at once. It can be used to coat any size substrate with the alloy as long as the substrate can roll freely within the barrel. The barrel is rotated at various speeds. Higher rotational speeds produce a more uniform zinc-nickel plating.
The racks can also be used to hang support materials that require zinc-nickel plating. The materials are dropped into the electrified chemical solution where the zinc-nickel plate is formed. The areas on the substrate from which it hangs receive no plating. The zinc-nickel plating made by this method is not as uniform as the plating that comes from the barrel plating process.
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