Electroless nickel plating

TLDR: HIGH STABILITY, AUTOCATALYTIC ELECTROLESS NICKEL PLATING BATH COMPRISING an AQUEOUS SOLUTION CONTAINing about 0.08-016 MOLE/LITER NICKels IONS, about 019-0.38 MOLE / LITER HYPOPHOSPHITE IONS and ESSENTIALLY about 035-3.14 MOLE or Liter CITRATE IONS as discussed by the authors.

Abstract: HIGH STABILITY, AUTOCATALYTIC ELECTROLESS NICKEL PLATING BATH COMPRISING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION CONTAINING ABOUT 0.08-016 MOLE/LITER NICKEL IONS, ABOUT 0.19-0.38 MOLE/ LITER HYPOPHOSPHITE IONS, AND ESSENTIALLY ABOUT 0.35-3.68 MOLE/LITER AMMONIUM IONS, ABOUT 0.0.-1.07 MOLE/LITER ACETATE ION AND ABOUT 0.007-0.14 MOLE/LITER CITRATE IONS, THE SOLUTION HAVING A PH IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 7.0 TO ABOUT 9.5 THE AMMONIUM IONS COMPLEX PALLADOUS IONS INTRODUCED INTO THE PLATING BATH BY "DRAG OUT" FROM THE ACTIVATOR SOLUTION TO FORM A SOLUBLE AMMONIUM-PALLADIUM COMPLEX, WHICH INHIBITS REDUCTION OF PALLADOUS ION TO ZERO VALENT CATALYTIC PALLADIUM BY THE HYPOPHOSPHITE OF THE BATH. BY THE REMOVAL OF POTENTIAL CATALYST SITES FROM THE BATH OR BY RENDERING THE POTENTIAL SITES RELATIVELY CATALYTICALLY INACTIVE, RANDOM DEPOSITION OF THE NICKEL AND PREMATURE LOSS OF THE BATH IS AVOIDED.