Nickel Plating Aluminum Galvanic Corrosion

Galvanic corrosion is an electrochemical process in which one metal corrodes preferentially to another when both metals are in electrical contact in the presence of an electrolyte.

Nickel plating aluminum galvanic corrosion.

First there must be two electrochemically dissimilar metals present. Electroless nickel plating can provide a robust solution to corrosive attack across a range of corrosive mechanisms including galvanic corrosion chemical attack and erosion. Iron group metals nickel cobalt iron nickel plating is among the most common electrodeposition processes and is used mostly as a part of a multilayered system designed to increase wear and corrosion resistance and also able to function as a diffusion barrier. Galvanic corrosion some times called dissimilar metal corrosion is the process by which the materials in contact with each other oxidizes or corrodes.

Galvanic corrosion also called bimetallic corrosion or dissimilar metal corrosion is an electrochemical process in which one metal corrodes preferentially when it is in electrical contact with another in the presence of an electrolyte a similar galvanic reaction is exploited in primary cells to generate a useful electrical voltage to power portable devices. Typically we are plating small precision machined housings from 6061 t6 aluminum alloy. Electroless nickel plating en can be applied to a wide range of basis metals including steel copper brass and aluminum alloys. The plating is typically electroless nickel and then gold.

The chart below shows how different plating materials react to one another with regard to their galvanic potential. Note that ni is more noble than low carbon steel essentially iron and. I am having plating problems such as visible peeling and blistering and voiding in areas.