INVESTIGATION OF THE OPERATING CONDITIONS ON ELECTROLESS NICKEL PLATING OVER ABS PLASTIC

The aim of this study is to investigate the operating conditions of without electrical current usage nickel plating over ABS plastic and determining the best plating conditions. Experimental study consists of four parts as; preparation of materials, etching, coating and analysis. The effects of temperature and pH of the plating bath, plating time and grinding paper size were investigated on nickel plating. Experiments were carried out in the plating bath with 120, 240 and 320 grit size sandpapers, at 85-90-95C plating temperatures, at 7-9-11 pH and 15-30-45 minutes of deposition times. The results of the experimental studies analyzed by using X-Ray XDL-B System, X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Due to the results of the experiments and analysis, the electroless nickel plating on ABS plastic was a success.