Avoid the EN "Blues"
For decades, the electroless nickel industry put up with the EN Blues, that volcanic reaction caused by adding a high pH replenishment component. With One-Plate®, you can avoid the EN Blues and many other problems caused by replenishing an electroless nickel bath the old fashioned way.
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Please see below for more information about the numerous problems caused by replenishing with typical "A" and "C" components, and how you can avoid them with is One-Plate® electroless nickel solutions.
Replenishing an electroless nickel bath with an old fashioned "C" component causes problems such as:
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The high pH of the "C" component causes an acid-base reaction that raises the temperature of the bath by about 5 degrees F (2 degrees C), and this localized intense heat causes a precipitation of ingredients in the bath such as nickel hydroxide that can cause pits, nodules, and other defects in the coating.
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The incompatibility between the EN bath and the high pH "C" component allows much of the ammonium hydroxide to be vaporized off the hot bath, which is a waste of chemistry and an annoying smell for the plater.
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Replenishing an electroless nickel bath with an old fashioned "A" component or other concentrated nickel sulfate solution is not ideal for the EN bath because:
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The high concentration of nickel sulfate is more likely to be precipitated in the bath, causing inclusions and defects in the EN coating.
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Concentrated nickel sulfate and "A" solutions freeze in low temperatures.
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The pH of the nickel sulfate and "A" solutions is much lower than the bath, which is not ideal for the bath and also requires more chemistry to raise the pH back up to the operating level.
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Fortunately, these problems do not exist with One-Plate® electroless nickel solutions. The nickel sulfate in the single One-Plate® component is more dilute than an old fashioned "A" component, and the nickel in One-Plate® is already complexed by the the complexing agent ingredients in the single component. So the nickel sulfate enters the bath in a much more compatible way. The pH of the One-Plate® solutions are the same pH as the bath, so they flow easily into the EN bath with no EN "Blues". One-Plate® means no strong reaction during replenishment, no ammonia smell, and higher quality electroless nickel coatings.