Sulfamate Nickel Plating Services – Sulfamate Nickel Deposit Properties

Sulfamate nickel plating is an electrolytic plating process first developed by Piontellil and Cambri in 1938. The primary difference in the sulfamate nickel plating bath is the use of nickel sulfamate rather than the nickel sulfate as is used in the traditional Watts nickel plating solution developed by Oliver Watts in 1916. It wasn’t until the mid-1950s and into the 1960s that sulfamate nickel plating became a commercially viable alternative to traditional Watts electrolytic nickel plating systems.

Sulfamate nickel plating produces a 99.9% pure deposit devoid of organic brighteners or levelers. The high purity of the deposit affords temperature resistance up to the 1400C+ melting point of pure nickel. The deposits have a full matte appearance with a slight yellow or golden cast not popular for decorative appeal. The deposits have extremely low deposit stress that can be in the compressive range. The low stress of sulfamate nickel plating yields nickel deposits with ductility, elongation and machinability far superior to other nickel deposits. If a bright ductile deposit is required, Advanced Plating Technologies proprietary Ducta-bright 7a nickel process is a better selection.

Sulfamate nickel plating excels in joining applications including brazing, soldering, over molding, epoxy bonding and welding. The high purity and lack of codeposited organics improves the wetting of the nickel deposit when soldering and makes sulfamate nickel plating the preferred underplate and diffusion barrier when tin plating, silver plating or gold plating for solderability or brazing. In addition, the unleveled matte surface makes sulfamate nickel plating the choice for adhesion in over-molding or epoxy bonding applications.