Type 416 Stainless Steel and Adhesion
After plating we observe blistering and peeling. We have tried a number of different plating cycles without ant success. What do you suggest?
Q: We are plating small components made from Type 416 stainless steel. After plating we observe blistering and peeling. We have tried a number of different plating cycles without ant success. What do you suggest? N. B.
A: Your e-mail does not give me much information as to what plating cycles you have tried, so the best I can do is to suggest the following cycle:
- Soak clean in a strong alkaline cleaner.
- Rinse.
- Activate in a hydrochloric acid dip (50%).
- Strike in a Woods nickel strike bath for 5–7 min at 7–9 V.
- Rinse thoroughly. Rinsing must be rapid so that the surface does not repassivate.
- Plate.
The most important thing to keep in mind is this (and this is important for all metal finishing processes): Consistency! Solutions and process times must be controlled. “Freelancing” does not give consistent results, and in your case it will give you parts that blister and peel.
Related Content
-
A Chromium Plating Overview
An overview of decorative and hard chromium electroplating processes.
-
Cleaning, Pretreatment to Meet Medical Specs ISO 13485 or FDA 21 CFR820
Maximilian Kessler from SurTec explains new practices for industrial parts cleaning, metal pretreatment and decorative electroplating in the medical device industry.
-
3 Tests to Ensure Parts are Clean Prior to Plating
Making sure that all of the pre-processing fluids are removed prior to plating is not as simple as it seems. Rich Held of Haviland Products outlines three tests that can help verify that your parts are clean.