GB761556A - Improvements in or relating to process for nickel plating - Google Patents

Abstract

The freshly roughened surface of a non-metallic body having, secured thereto, dispersed growth nuclei consisting of minute particles comprising a catalytic material, is immersed in a bath comprising an aqueous solution of a nickel salt and a hypophosphite, causing initial nickel plating on such nuclei and subsequent growth of the plating into a continuous nickel layer over the freshly roughened surface of the body. The catalytic material may be Fe, Co, Ni, Pd, Pt, Be, B, C. Mg, Al, Tl, Si, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Zn, Ge, Se, Mo, Cd, Te, W, Cu, Ag, Sn, An, Pb, Bi, brass or bronze. The catalytic material may be applied in powder form to a body from which the surface skin has been removed; or it may be incorporated in the material prior to forming the body, the formed body being prepared by sanding, blasting, brushing, tumbling or chemical etching; or it may be forced into the surface whilst simultaneously freshening the latter, eg. by wet or dry heating, buffing, tumbling, sanding or wire brushing using a mixture of abrasives and catalyst or using the latter also as the abrasive. The catalyzed surface may be subjected to spray washing with a detergent or to vapour degreasing prior to immersion in the plating bath. In a further alternative, the body, after surface freshening, is immersed in a solution of the chloride, nitrate, bromide or sulphate of palladium, rinsed with water, immersed in a solution of a reducing agent such as hypophosphorous acid, hydrazine hydrochloride or hydroquinone and again rinsed prior to immersion in the plating solution. The non-metallic body may be of synthetic plastic, hard rubber, wood, glass or ceramic. Specifications 761,026 and 761,567 are referred to.