Metal Information Center

Analyse electroless nickel plating baths at line

February 19, 2008 – 6:14 am

An ‘at line’ analyser uses uses well established hardware and software to analyse nickel, hypophosphite and alkalinity in electroless nickel plating baths

Metrohm ProcessLab is a new ‘at line’ analyser, which continues the success of the Titrando range of laboratory titrators. The system uses well established hardware and software, including the Titrando titrator and tiamo software. Advantages to users of electroless nickel plating baths are as follows.
The industrial PC and I/O controller for sending information to process control systems.

* ProcessLab can be used at several different points in the manufacturing process.

Electroless nickel layers are normally nickel-phosphorus alloys.

For the reductive chemical deposition of nickel with phosphorus inclusions, sodium-hypophosphite is used as the reducing agent (reductant).

To apply even nickel layers to the workpieces, the content of nickel, reductant and the alkalinity have to be determined periodically.

An automated ProcessLab system is used to determine the ingredients .

All liquid handling steps such as taking sample aliquots, dosing of reagents, titration and cleaning are performed by pumps and burets controlled by ProcessLab.