Chemical (electroless) nickel plating exhibits outstanding conformal coverage. The technique also exhibits good metallic appearance and electrical conductivity. However, in terms of wear resistance, corrosion resistance and adhesion to substrate, this technique is inferior to the micro-arc plasma oxidation (MAPO). The duplex coating of chemical nickel plating and micro-arc plasma oxidation is promising in many applications. The comparison between chemical nickel plating and micro-arc plasma oxidation is listed as following:
The comparison between chemical (electroless) nickel plating and micro-arc plasma oxidation
Item |
MAPO |
Chemical nickel |
conformal coverage |
Good |
Excellent |
Hardness |
High(~Hv1500) |
Low(Hv400~500) |
Adhesion |
Metallurgical interface, extremely excellent |
Mechanical interlock, good |
Conductivity |
Insulator with high dielectric strength |
Electric conductor |
Corrosion resistance |
Excellent |
Good |
Flexibility |
Excellent |
Fair |
Substrate choice |
Only vale metals(eg. Mg, Al, Ti alloys) |
Any of structural materials(platics, metal, ceramics, or composite) |
Environment |
Eco-friendly |
Polution |