Any chemists here?
 

I've been doing a lot of electroless nickel work and now the partner company would like it to have a slight gold tone to it. None of my platers will even entertain the question but I'm wondering if another metal or substance could be added to the nickel bath that would colorize, even just slightly, the resulting plating.

I've also looked in PVD to replace nickel but that has it's own limitations.

Cue in the R&D for a product that financially probably won’t pay off.


As a chemiker (that has not reviewed literature on this topic), i would attack this problem with doping (Co, Sn, Cu, etc). Lots of variables and would inspect the work with XRF and/or SEM w/EDS … remember, micro before scale up.

I thought you plated the gold over the nickel

I don’t think they want to pay for the use of actual gold…?


One of my favorite rxn’s is to electroless deposition pennys with zinc and heat them up.

Just need a hint of gold tinted nickel. So not gold, just the idea of gold.

Hi
A lot of the nickel plating that I have seen had a straw / pale yellow color.

For nickel plating colors including, white, gray gold and black, see more here:
https://www.electroplatingmachines.com/news/common-colors-of-nickel-plating.html

Cheers

Not quite what you’re asking about, but does require some chemistry skills.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1747894146.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1747894146.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1747894146.jpg
[img]http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads26/100000811217478941
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1747894146.jpghttp://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1747894322.jpg[img]http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads26/10000118151747894423.j

Sent thread to a couple of the chem instructors at work....

Fascinating

https://www.finishing.com/288/01.shtml