Recent advances in pretreatment technologies for chemical Ni-P plating on aluminum alloys

EDN: https://elibrary.ru/WKVPDB

Abstract

Due to the presence of a dense oxide layer on the surface of aluminum alloys, pretreatment prior to electroless plating is of critical importance. This paper introduces major pretreatment processes, including direct plating, nickel immersion, zinc plating and copper immersion. These methods aim to effectively activate the surface, remove or convert the oxide layer, and provide a suitable substrate for electroless nickel-phosphorus (Ni-P) plating. Research indicates that appropriate pretreatment can significantly enhance coating adhesion and corrosion resistance. Obtaining Ni-P coatings with controllable phosphorus content and a dense structure is a critical step in achieving effective protection and functional applications for aluminum alloys.