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NickelCote™

NickelCote™

CORROSION-RESISTANT & ABRASION-RESISTANT COATING

Electroless Nickel Coating (ENC) High Phos (10.5%+)

Nickel Plating or “NickelCote™” is a nickel alloy coating that imparts superior corrosion resistance and added wear resistance to the base material being coated. In the “As Plated” condition it is a grain-free amorphous structure with excellent barrier corrosion protection. NickelCote™ has a morphology similar to that of metallic glass coating and because of the absence of a well-defined crystal structure, eliminates the possibility of intergranular corrosion, inherent in many crystalline coatings.

In other words: NickelCote™ is an Electroless Nickel barrier coating, in which it protects the substrate (eg. Steel) by sealing it off from the environment. Due to its superior chemical resistance, freedom of porosity, and as-plated hardness, NickelCote™ can provide a more effective and more economic protection than any other coating in most environments.

ADVANTAGES

NickelCote™ has excellent corrosion and chemical resistance provides protection for severe corrosion attacks such as C02, H2S, and high-temperature combinations. This coating exhibits excellent mechanical strength and phenomenal adhesion from mechanical and chemical bonding.

NickelCote™ is an excellent choice for applications requiring a thickness above 0.001” (25um). This coating displays excellent deposit uniformity which is evident even in recesses in the substrate (eg. Threads).

NickelCote™ Coating is a true barrier protective coating. It is not a sacrificial coating such as zinc or Teflon coating, but rather provides an excellent barrier between corrosive environments and the substrate. The amorphous nature of NickelCote™ is advantageous in allowing the coating to withstand severely corrosive environments where typically only exotic alloys have been used. The amorphous structure does not have any grain boundaries at which corrosion sites can be initiated. NickelCote™ is used on equipment by many Oil and Gas companies which have shown to increase corrosion resistance significantly.

  • Superior Corrosion Resistance (H2S, CO2, Chlorides)
  • Abrasion Protection (Rockwell ‘C’ hardness‘ up to 68)
  • Impact Resistant
  • Uniform Coating
  • Beyond Line Of Sight Coverage

APPLICATIONS

NickelCote™ has been successfully applied to the wetted parts of a wide variety of oilfield components which are subjected to severely corrosive environments. Coating components such as:

  • BOP Bodies
  • SAGD (steam assisted gravity drainage)
  • Pup Joints
  • Pull Tubes
  • Flow Control Equipment
  • Valves
  • Fittings
  • Pipe Spools
  • Oilwell completion tools

NickelCote™ is an excellent and economical choice of coating for severe service conditions for various applications in some of the most corrosive environments.  As well it competes with exotic alloys at a fraction of the cost.

SILVER FOX NICKELCOTE™ CAPABILITIES

Silver Fox is able to coat tubulars up to 30’ long and 6” in diameter, as well as parts that are up to 2ft wide by 2ft high by 6ft long.

NickelCote™ is available in three versions: 

NC500 (as plated)

NC500

In this condition, the coating is amorphous and free of porosity and non-magnetic. NC500 can provide a more effective and more economic protection than any other coating in most environments.

NC720 (Diffused)

This “Diffused” version has a nano-nickel layer that is diffused into the substrate. In this condition the treated part is highly corrosion resistant, as such the diffused layer will not flake or peel. Also, the hardness of the layer is increased giving it a better Taber Wear Index than NC500.

NC910 (Heat Treated)

This “Heat Treated” version greatly improves the wear resistance properties. In this condition the corrosion properties have been reduced, however, the bond strength to the substrate is increased.

 

SUMMARY

NickelCote™ is an Electroless Nickel barrier coating that protects the substrate (eg.steel) by sealing it off from the environment. NickelCote™ process is characterized by being an electroless (auto-catalytic) chemistry that plates a uniform layer of Nickel onto the surface of the substrate. Silver Fox has different versions of the process for various conditions.

 

Related Products

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Frequently Asked Questions

The corrosion resistance of NickelCote™ electroless nickel is one of the major reasons for its widespread use as a protective coating. It behaves as a true barrier coating between the corrosive environment and the substrate. The amorphous nature of these high phosphorus deposits is advantageous in corrosive environments. Corrosion protection is due to the low porosity of the coatings and the excellent resistance of nickel to many liquids and most atmospheric conditions.

The most important factors that determine the corrosion resistance of electroless nickel are:

  • Substrate composition, structure and surface finish.
  • Pretreatment of the substrate to achieve a clean, uniform surface.
  • Adequate deposit thickness for the severity and time of exposure to corrosive conditions.
  • The properties of the deposit (composition, porosity, internal stress) as determined by the pH, formulation and use (turnover) of the plating solution.
  • Post plating treatments of the coating, such as passivation and annealing.
  • The aggressiveness of the corrosive conditions.

NickelCote™ Electroless nickel coating is used to deposit nickel without the use of an electric current. The coating is deposited by an autocatalytic chemical reduction of nickel ions by hypophosphite compound. The electroless nickel deposition process starts only on the catalytic surface and it involves the diffusion of chemicals to the deposited surface and by-products away from the surface. The reaction continues if the surface remains in contact with the electroless nickel solution.

Simply put, it is plating without the use of an electric current.

Electroless nickel solutions (NickelCote™) are blends of different chemicals, each performing an important function. The characteristics of an electroless nickel bath and its deposit are determined by the composition of their components.

One of the outstanding characteristics of NickelCote™ coatings is their high hardness, especially after heat treatment. The hardness of an electroless nickel deposit is especially important when superior wear resistance is required. Heat treatment of high phosphorus electroless nickel results in a dramatic increase in hardness to levels like those of chromium plate.

Heat treatment causes these alloys to age harden and can produce hardness value as high as 1100 HV (Vickers hardness). Because of their high hardness, electroless nickel coatings have excellent resistance to wear and abrasion. Heat treatments at elevated temperatures also improves the magnetic response of high phosphorus nickel.

NC500 – Rockwell C Hardness: 48-50

NC720 – Rockwell C Hardness: 58-62

NC910 – Rockwell C Hardness: 64-67

NickelCote™ is an excellent and economical choice of coating for severe service conditions for various applications in some of the most corrosive environments.  As well it competes with exotic alloys at a fraction of the cost.

NickelCote™ is an excellent and economical choice of coating for severe service conditions for various applications in some of the most corrosive environments.  As well it competes with exotic alloys at a fraction of the cost.

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