Automotive fuel storage and handling components have historically been metal-based designs. Design limitations, performance issues and cost reduction goals have prompted automotive OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to design new systems using plastic or polymer substrates. Even so, complex, expensive multilayer systems and, in some cases, high-cost specialty polymers have been required to meet their final performance requirements. The less expensive plastics, such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), require a secondary treatment to create a barrier layer to control and meet government and industry emission standards. There is an ongoing need for a cost-effective solution that facilitates the usage of lower-cost plastics. Coupling an electroless nickel process with a gaseous pretreatment process has shown promise in both small-scale evaluations and in selected production. For the automotive industry, key performance criteria include resistance to corrosion resulting from exposure to a variety of fuels and their by-products, as well as resistance to UV exposure.
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