The new acid electrolyte Niphos 964 from Umicore is suitable for the deposition of nickel-phosphorus alloy coatings in rack or barrel operation. By modifying the preparation and working conditions, the electrolyte is also suitable for high-performance plants (Niphos 964 HS). With Niphos 964 / HS, bright alloy coatings with extremely low tensile stresses up to slight compressive stresses can be deposited by the electrolytic route. As a result, the coatings are extremely low in cracking and offer a high level of corrosion protection.
Niphos 964 / HS is free of chloride, boric acid and ammonium. It contains no heavy metals other than nickel. The phosphorus content of the coatings can vary from 6 - 13 % phosphorus. By adjusting the working conditions, the phosphorus content can be set in the range >10.5 % phosphorus. The hardness of the coatings is 550 HV 0.05 in the as-deposited condition. When using a combination of Niphos and hard chrome, the thickness of the chrome layer and thus the amount of Cr6+ used can be reduced - while improving the properties of the overall layer.