Tag Archive for corrosion resistant metal coating

Choose the Right Coating to Maximise Product Optimisation in the Automotive World

The idea of a specialised coating is for the surface of metals to be permanently enhanced by them.  This can be used on other substrates as well and on many components and equipment, too.  These specialised coatings, in effect, act as a deterrent and solve wear, corrosion, lubricant and release problems.   But to choose the best coating for you, the most important things which must be taken in to consideration is the operating environment.

Put a Coat on!

Surface coating usage has grown enormously in the automotive industry over the last fifty years.  Initially, the internal combustion engine was usually manufactured from cast iron, forged steels and die-cast aluminium alloys – Heat treatment provided the wear surface for these elements along with white metal or bronze bearings.  They were oiled and lubricated to allowance clearance between moving surfaces.  Half a century later, this method is still used today, though we need and expect more out of our cars.  We expect them to last longer, drive considerably more substantial distances and we need them to abide by our emissions regulations now, too – no mean feat!  In case that wasn’t enough, we expect our cars to do all of this with less fuel and lighter engines which have a lower tolerance to engineering and lower friction between their moving parts.  Due to this, a wider range of materials and coating variety have been required by us all, so that the wear, corrosion and friction problems and expectations could be overcome.

Automotive Parts and Protective Coatings

Piston rings, skirts and pins are coated frequently by hard-wearing, low friction coatings.  This is to help the initial running-in and advocates long-life performance.  It also helps with lower oil lubrication levels which are commonly associated with cold engine starts and reduces the amount of lubricant allowed to enter the combustion chamber.  Ceramic coatings provide the thermal insulation of piston crowns, usually in diesel engines, where increased and high temperature thermal spray or vacuum use methods are often practiced.

Mating cylinder linings can be coated with electrolytic or electroless plated composite finished which incorporate hard particles of silicon carbide, diamond or boron nitride.  The engines design and performance influence are what enable the design engineer to make the coating choice.

Bio fuels have caused a large amount of corrosive issues with the fuel input systems, fuel storage and fuel delivery systems.  There are a great array of thin coatings which can be applied to these areas in order to prevent corrosion from occurring such as electroless nickel plating which is often enhanced with the use of powder coating or e-coat top coats.

Contact us

us are leading suppliers who are experts in electroless nickel plating.  We are a Derbyshire based company who undertake many processes to the highest spec for you.  These include diffused nickel plating, shot blasting, nickel boron plating, nickel diamond plating and so much more.  So, if you are interested in finding out more about these processes then give our friendly and professional staff a call on our phone number or .  Alternatively, you can click here and go directly to our website to find out more about us and our processes.

 

The Advantages of Corrosion Resistant Coatings

Corrosion and rust can have a catastrophic effect on the safety of a variety of equipment used in the automotive, oil and gas, and engineering industry. And it’s not just the safety of this equipment that’s a problem, corrosion and rust can also affect the reliability and efficiency of the equipment too.

What is Corrosion?

Corrosion occurs when a metal or alloy is attacked by agents in the surrounding atmosphere. This reaction causes the surface of the material to disintegrate into an oxide or sulphide, or even the dissolution of the material into the surrounding environment.

How Do Corrosion Resistant Coatings Work?

There are many things that can degrade metal components, such as exposure to chemicals, oxidation, moisture and salt spray. Corrosion resistant coatings protect the metal from this degradation by providing a barrier between the component and the corrosive material.

The advantages of using components that are resistant to corrosion are numerous.  They can increase the life of a component as they prevent the formation of rust on a part, in turn stopping the part from becoming a catalyst for rust formation on surrounding parts. This, therefore,  prevents part on part rusting and removing the risk of one part affecting the final assembly.

What are the Benefits of Corrosion Resistant Coatings?

Coatings which possess anti-corrosive properties such as electroless nickel plating and diffused nickel plating ensure that metal components have the longest possible life by inhibiting the effect of chemicals, moisture and salt spray etc.

Another benefit of an anti-corrosion coating is that they can tolerate extended periods in extreme conditions such as fluctuations in temperature, exposure to hostile elements and extreme moisture and damp. The use of corrosion resistant plating before the part is exposed to corrosion can reduce costs and delays due to replacement of parts.

Electroless Nickel Corrosion Resistant Coating

Electroless nickel is a uniform coating that is the perfect solution for critical high-end engineering items used in the defence, healthcare, automotive and aerospace industries.

It is very resistant to corrosion and will therefore extend the life of everything it coats. This makes it ideal for coating parts exposed to harsh environments such as those operating in the marine, oil and gas and defence industries. Therefore, it can reduce the cost of repair and replacement parts.

The process of electroless nickel plating is a great way to prevent corrosion from occurring on parts used in the automotive, oil and gas, and engineering industry. Contact us today on 0845 2243571 or email 

Salt Spray and Corrosion Resistant Coating

The effects of salt spray on metal coatings can result in corrosion of the surface of the metal. Metal surfaces that are exposed to marine environments need to be fit for use in sub-sea conditions to prevent this type of corrosion from occurring.

Here at us, we aim to keep at the forefront of our industry by developing products to solve problems such as these. We needed to come up with a product that would be a cost effective answer to extend the life of mild steel exposed to a marine environment.

Components operating in conditions such as these need to last a long time, as the simple act of just replacing them can result in downtime and can be very expensive.

Through years of research, development and testing, we’ve created a product that protects mild steel from salt spray corrosion for an unprecedented amount of hours – SeaTEC 100. It’s a really exciting achievement within the engineering industry, and is ideal for use in sub-sea conditions.

SeaTEC 100 can be used to plate metal components, valves and connectors used in marine environments. It is able to increase the strength of items such as pipeline connectors, which is ideal because these are the points at which the material is at its weakest level.

It has also been tested to withstand salt spray conditions for over 25,000 hours, an unprecedented amount of time within this industry. It is also available in a variety of colours.

SeaTEC100 is an ideal plating for oil rigs and pipes used to transport oil and gas as it can substantially extend the life of materials such as mild steel. This means that downtime as a result of corroded parts is severely reduced or avoided altogether, and the cost of repairing, replacing or maintaining parts is reduced too.

us also specialise in the process of electroless nickel plating, copper plating, and shot blasting and heat treatment. To find out more about SeaTEC100, electroless nickel plating and the other services we offer, please visit the us website, call us or email: 

Top 3 Benefits of High Phosphorus Electroless Nickel

The phosphorus content in an electroless nickel coating is a key component in the determination of the properties of that coating. There are varying levels of phosphorus content, and each provides unique properties. High phosphorus electroless nickel typically contains a phosphorus content of between 10-12%, making it ideal for applications where a uniform, hard and highly corrosion resistant coating is required. Here are the top 3 benefits of a high phosphorus electroless nickel coating.

Hardness

Electroless nickel coatings with a high phosphorus content offers high levels of hardness and a lack of porosity, which makes it an ideal barrier coating for components, especially those that are used in hostile environments or are subject to aggressive use. The as-plated hardness of electroless nickel is approximately 48-52 Rc, but it can be heat treated to 68-70 Rc for a more wear resistant finish.

Corrosion Resistance

High phosphorus electroless nickel coatings are recommended where the maximum level of corrosion protection is needed. This makes it ideal for industry standards requiring protection from highly corrosive acidic environments such as oil drilling and coal mining.

Uniformity

The process of high phosphorus electroless nickel plating involves a chemical reaction, rather than electricity which is used in electroplating. Electroplating often produces a number of unwanted effects such as edge build up, uneven thickness, no plating in corners and recesses etc.

But electroless nickel plating, on the other hand, guarantees full coverage that is so uniform that the surface finish is normally duplicated. This also eliminates the need for post plate grinding or polishing. Even complex shapes such as threads keep their original geometry after plating.

Other advantages of high phosphorus electroless nickel are as follows:

  • Low porosity
  • Non-magnetic
  • Less prone to staining
  • Pit-free deposits
  • Fast deposition rate throughout life
  • Consistent deposition rate throughout life
  • Very stable and robust

Corrosion Resistant Metal Coating

If you are looking for a highly effective corrosion resistant metal coating, high phosphorus electroless nickel is a great solution. Call the us team , email  or get in touch via our contact page.

No Need For Liquid Lubricants With Nickel PTFE Coatings

Here at us, our experience in the metal finishing and surface technology fields allow us to work with a variety of customers from a wide range of industries. One of the specialist services we offer is nickel PTFE plating, a unique plating solution that combines the hardness of electroless nickel with the lubricity of Polytetrafloureothylene, otherwise known as PTFE.

Lubricious and Hard Metal Coating

The PTFE coating is perfect for those customers that require a lubricious, hard, uniform coating that can be accurately deposited across the surface of the component. Our electroless nickel/PTFE composite is a fantastic coating that properties of PTFE with those of electroless nickel.

PTFE is self lubricating, has excellent low friction and release properties. Combined with the wear resistance, corrosion resistance and hardness of electroless nickel, Ni-PTFE is the perfect surface treatment. Its self lubricating properties also make it ideal for components that are unsuitable for conventional lubricants.

What are the Key Properties of Nickel PTFE?

Nickel PTFE has many fantastic properties including the following:

  • Corrosion resistance
  • Wear resistance
  • Low friction
  • Uniform deposit
  • Lubrications

Where Can Nickel PTFE Coatings be used?

Our nickel PTFE coating provides low friction wear and self lubrication, which makes it an excellent choice for sliding wear applications and other instances where conventional lubricants would be harmful to the components. The Ni-PTFE plating process has been used extensively in the following industries:

  • Automotive
  • Machinery
  • Engineering
  • Mold and Die

If you would like more information about Nickel PTFE and the benefits it can have for your metal plating requirements, feel free to call the friendly team at us or email . Alternatively, visit the us website at http://www.electroless-nickel-plating.co.uk

Corrosion Resistant Coatings for Marine Environments

Mining equipment suffering from rust and corrosion

Corrosion can be a big problem for parts and machinery operating in marine environments. Mild steel is commonly used for marine applications due to its strength, ease of fabrication and relatively cheap price.

The only problem is, it corrodes very easily when exposed to seawater. So when mild steel isn’t protected by a corrosion resistant layer or barrier, it quickly loses its strength and can, therefore, result in failure of parts.

What is Corrosion?

Corrosion is the gradual destruction of materials by chemical reaction with their environment. It is the oxidisation of the metal at the interface between the metal and the environment, and the reaction results in the degradation of the mechanical properties of the metal. Corrosion is dependent on many factors, including oxygen concentration, pH, water temperature and the presence of dissolved salts such as chloride, sulphate and sulphites.

Pitting Corrosion

Pitting corrosion is a type of corrosion that occurs on mild steel in a localised fashion. The steel penetration can be very deep in relation to the area under attack, and it is therefore one of the most dangerous types of corrosion.

Bacterial Corrosion

Bacterial corrosion can also be referred to as micro-biological corrosion or anaerobic (without oxygen) corrosion. This type of corrosion is likely to happen if the environment that the metal is exposed to supports bacterial activity. For bacterial corrosion to occur, there must be stagnant water, a hydrocarbon food source e.g. oil or coatings, the presence of sulphates, an operating temperature of between 20 – 40C, and the presence of bacteria.

Corrosion Prevention Using Metal Coatings

The prevention of corrosion requires the elimination or suppression of the chemical reaction between the environment and the metal. One way of preventing this reaction is by applying a metal coating to the surface of the substrate, and the effectiveness of the coating depends on factors including the type of coating used, the operating environment and the coating type.

SeaTEC 100 Marine Corrosion Protection

Here at us, we have developed a corrosion resistant metal coating that effectively protects mild steel from salt spray corrosion and marine corrosion for an extensive period of time. For more information about SeaTEC 100 and its ability to extend the life of parts exposed to subsea conditions, please contact the expert team at us by calling our phone number or email us at .