Tin Overlayer Effect on Corrosion Resistance of Electroless Nickel-Phosphorus Alloy Plating Films

Electroless nickel-phosphorus alloy was plated on steels, and tin plated on top of these. Double-plating films were analyzed by glow discharge emission spectrometry (GDS) before and after heat treatment. Effects of heat treatment on X-ray diffraction patterns, anodic polarization curves, and corrosion resistance were investigated compared to electroless nickel-phosphorus alloy films. Anodic polarization currents for tin/electroless nickel-phosphorus alloy double-plating films were greatly suppressed by heat treatment at 400°C. X-ray diffraction measurements confirmed the formation of intermetallic tin-nickel compounds after heat treatment. Current values were assumed suppressed due to formation of these compounds.GDS results showed that film surfaces were blue due to nickel oxides forming on them in heating electroless nickel-phosphorus alloy films at 400°C in an atmosphere. Electroless nickel-phosphorus alloy films with a tin overlayer did not show this color, however, because intermetallic tin-nickel compounds formed on the film surface. CASS tests showed that electroless nickel-phosphorus alloy films with a tin overlayer were superior in corrosion resistance to films without this overlayer.