The annual global cost of corrosion is $2.5 trillion, equivalent to 3.4% of the worldwide GDP. In the US, the annual cost of corrosion surged past $1 trillion, affecting our national GDP by 6.2%. Corrosion affects infrastructure, transportation, production & manufacturing, utilities, and the federal government.

Chemical based methods to control the detriments of corrosion include:

• Metallic plated deposits with optional organic / chromate top coats.
• Corrosion inhibitor films.
• Non metallic parts in the form of polymers and plastics.
• Organic coatings such as paint & powder coat.

Per the values given, the traditional methods to control corrosion fall short, In fact, far short.

In a major development to minimize corrosion, thereby improving field service life of parts in challenging conditions, Zinc – Nickel alloy (ZN-Ni) plated finishes provide significant benefits. These include not only corrosion protection, but improved hardness, service life, and wear resistance.

Straight zinc plated deposits provide sacrificial corrosion protection over steel substrates. It is accomplished by the zinc deposit’s anodic potential to corrode first, protecting the steel base. This has been an industry accepted application for decades.

Paramount Metal Finishing offers a unique, significant improvement to corrosion protection. It is the Zinc – Nickel alloy deposit (Zn-Ni), composed of 85% Zinc & 15% Nickel. The focus of corrosion protection is immediately obvious by results of the ASTM B-117 Salt Spray Testing, on equivalent deposit thicknesses.

Salt Spray Results for Electroplated Deposits

The corrosion protection afforded by a deposit of Zn-Ni significantly outperforms straight Zinc by 2.7:1 (white corrosion) and significantly by 4.9:1 to red corrosion.

The Zn-Ni alloy deposit consists of 85% Zinc and 15% Nickel. Deposits normally range in thickness of 8-14 um, followed by a trivalent chromate of 0.06-0.1 um thickness.

Zn-Ni deposits approach 450 Vickers hardness. By comparison, Zinc deposits fall below 150 Vickers.

Zn-Ni deposits resist thermal stresses approaching 200 degC (392 degF) compared to Zinc deposits at only 120 degC (248 degF.

Other outstanding features of the Zn-Ni deposit include:

• RoHS and REACH compliant
• Meets requirements of ELV Directive
• Post plating chromates applied are RoHS compliant
• Excellent replacement for Cadmium plated deposits (eliminates possible carcinogenic exposure to Cadmium)
• Minimal tendency towards hydrogen embrittlement

Paramount Metal Finishing applies Zn-Ni to a variety of commercial and military parts, including:  automotive, power generation, fasteners, construction, agricultural equipment, firearms, aerospace, lawn & garden, transportation, and heavy equipment.

Finishing capabilities range from standard parts to larger sizes and dimensions,

Zinc nickel plating is the one of the best non-corrosive metal finishes money can buy. It is no wonder why many companies prefer zinc nickel plating to other materials where possible. Paramount Metal Finishing is RoHS compliant on zinc and zinc nickel plating and assures high quality on all products and services.

Paramount Metal Finishing has the unique capability to give very large parts with complex shapes a zinc nickel plating finish. Large parts require the use of internal anodes in order to accomplish 100% coating coverage. Paramount Metal Finishing has worked on the development of dedicated fixtures and internal anodes which result in the highest quality zinc nickel plating of large parts and complex configurations.

Bulk Zinc Nickel Plating

Paramount Metal Finishing also has the capability to process zinc nickel plating alloys in bulk barrel and rack plating lines. Using linear zinc nickel plating lines optimizes the quality and economics, while large production runs and large/heavy parts are handled readily.

There are several zinc nickel plating specifications available in production. Each specification has Types and Classes that further define the specification. The following are the most frequently referenced specifications for zinc nickel alloy plating. Specification — % Nickel:

• ASTM B841-99 — 5-12%
• AMS 2417G — 6-20%
• Automotive — 10-15% (most common)

It is widely accepted that the higher the nickel content the better corrosion protection, up to 15%.

Zinc Nickel Plating Quality Assurance

Paramount Metal Finishing’s highest priority are customer requirements and quality finishes. All processes are audited and monitored by a trained and qualified staff member. Before shipment approval can be made, coating characteristics and coating performance are thoroughly tested. Paramount believes quality should be built into the process from the beginning of the manufacturing process til the end. Because Paramount Metal Finishing is quality driven, customers can expect:

• ISO 9001-2008 SGS registered
• Statistical Process Control (SPC ) employed
• Statistical Quality Control (SQC ) employed
• Six Sigma trained staff with active projects
• Laboratory – In house laboratory for process control and coating testing

For more information about zinc nickel plating, please contact Paramount Metal Finishing at www.pmf1.com, or simply call 908-862-0772.