1. Positive influence of nickel plating thickness on wear resistance
Within a certain range, the increase in nickel plating thickness can improve the wear resistance of Nickel Plated Parts. When the nickel plating layer is thin, its protective effect on the base of the part is relatively limited. As the thickness of the nickel plating layer gradually increases, the nickel plating layer can better withstand external friction and wear. This is because a thicker nickel plating layer can provide more material to resist the loss during the friction process. For example, in some mechanical transmission parts, appropriately increasing the thickness of the nickel plating layer can effectively reduce the wear on the surface of the parts and extend the service life of the parts.
The increase in the thickness of the nickel plating layer makes it so that when the parts are in contact and friction, the abrasive particles or friction pairs first act on the nickel plating layer instead of directly wearing the base of the parts. The nickel layer itself has a certain hardness and can withstand a certain friction force without being easily worn through. Moreover, a thicker nickel plating layer can better fill the microscopic unevenness of the surface of the parts, making the contact surface smoother, thereby reducing the friction coefficient and further improving the wear resistance.
2. Diminishing marginal benefits of increasing thickness
However, when the thickness of the nickel plating layer exceeds a certain limit, its effect on improving wear resistance will show diminishing marginal benefits. This is because as the nickel plating layer becomes too thick, it may produce greater internal stress. The existence of internal stress can cause defects such as cracks and peeling in the nickel plating layer, especially when subjected to external friction forces, these defects are more likely to expand.
For example, when the thickness of the nickel plating layer is too large, the nickel plating layer may produce tiny cracks due to its own internal stress during processing or in the early stage of use. During the friction process, these cracks will expand rapidly, causing large pieces of the nickel plating layer to peel off, thereby exposing the part substrate directly to the friction environment, greatly reducing the wear resistance of the part. Moreover, an overly thick nickel plating layer may reduce the dimensional accuracy of the part, which will indirectly affect the performance and wear resistance of the part in some occasions with high precision requirements.
3. The influence of nickel plating quality on the thickness-wear resistance relationship
The quality of the nickel plating layer plays an important regulatory role in the relationship between thickness and wear resistance. Even if the nickel plating thickness is appropriate, if the nickel plating quality is poor, such as coarse crystallization and high porosity of the nickel plating, its wear resistance will be affected. High-quality nickel plating has fine and uniform crystallization and low porosity, which can provide better wear resistance at the same thickness.
In the nickel plating process, strict control of nickel plating process parameters, such as plating solution composition, current density, temperature, etc., can improve the quality of the nickel plating. For example, suitable additives can make the crystallization of the nickel plating more delicate and reduce the generation of pores. Such a nickel plating layer can better resist the embedding and cutting of abrasive particles when subjected to friction, and can show good wear resistance even if the nickel plating thickness is relatively thin.
4. Comprehensive considerations in practical applications
In practical applications, the relationship between nickel plating thickness and wear resistance needs to be comprehensively considered. For some Nickel Plated Parts that are subjected to low-intensity friction, such as decorative parts, the nickel plating thickness can be relatively thin, and the focus is on ensuring the appearance quality and certain wear resistance of the nickel plating. For parts that are subjected to high-intensity friction, such as wear-resistant parts in industrial equipment, it is necessary to reasonably determine the thickness of the nickel plating layer based on the specific friction environment and requirements while ensuring the quality of the nickel plating layer to achieve the best wear-resistant effect. At the same time, the cost factor must also be considered, because the increase in the thickness of the nickel plating layer will lead to an increase in the cost of nickel plating, so a balance must be found between wear resistance and cost.
