Electroless nickel plating solutions traditionally operate at 80 to 90°C. The solutions are normally very active and therefore, much care must be taken to prevent spontaneous deposition on the tank walls and filtration equipment. A method for heating steel parts by induction through the use of eddy currents in a cold solution was first introduced in the 1970's. This method was recently reexamined and is the subject of this paper. The results to be presented will show that the method, although promising, demonstrates that the overall deposition rate is not high enough and suffers from non-uniformity issues. Compared with traditional heating methods, phosphorous content is dependent on the local temperature at the part surface, as is the plating speed. A benefit from this type of cold process includes that stabilizers, typically lead containing, are not required for solution control. Thus, the process is deemed to be a lead-free, environmentally friendly process alternative versus other heating methods.
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