Methods to improve the corrosion performance of microporous nickel deposits

During the last several years, microporous nickel-chromium coatings have been critically scrutinized by the automotive industry. Today these coatings must be free of all surface defects, even after long-term exposure to accelerated tests and in real-life service. While proper control of all the multi-layer nickel deposits is important, blemish-free surfaces can only be obtained when the microdiscontinuity and the activity of the post-nickel strike are properly achieved and maintained. This edited version of a paper presented at SUR/FIN® '96-Cleveland show that research indicates that the most important factor is the electrochemical potential of the microporous nickel strike deposit.