TESTING & MEASURMENT
Bowman XRF instruments are , for platers of all types , 3 instruments in one
Electroless Nickel Plating ( ENP ) provides protection from wear and abrasion , resistance against corrosion , and increased hardness . It ’ s widely used in aerospace , the petrochemical industry , construction , electronics , and elsewhere .
ENP provides a unique combination of process and performance advantages in addition to wear and corrosion resistance . These include friction resistance and a high degree of deposit uniformity . Electroless nickel is less porous than electroplated nickel and hard chrome , does not use electricity , and requires less equipment and fewer coats than electroplating to create a strong , high-quality finish .
ENP also offers substantial flexibility in plating thickness and volume , and easily fills recesses or pits in the metal surface . A wide range of industrial parts can be finished , including oil field valves , pumps , drive shafts , electrical mechanical tools , engineering equipment , etc .
There are 3 types of ENP , offering low , medium and high levels of phosphorus . The most common type contains medium levels of phosphorus ( sometimes referred to as MPEN , 6-9 % phosphorus ). MPEN has high speed deposit rates , and bright and semi-bright options . Low phosphorus electroless nickel (< 5 % phosphorus ) provides uniform thickness on the inside ( to eliminate the need for grinding after plating ), as well as alkaline corrosion resistance . High phosphorus ( 10-13 % phosphorus ) ENP is applied to components used in oil drilling , coal mining and other applications where extreme corrosion protection is needed .
X-Ray Fluorescence ( XRF ) has become ubiquitous in the plating industry for measuring plated layer thicknesses and composition . Traditional XRF instruments used to determine plating thickness were equipped with gas-filled proportional detectors ; these were unable to measure phosphorus – an important disadvantage .
Recently , more capable XRF instruments have been introduced for plating thickness and composition measurement . The most significant advancement involves solid state detectors ( typically silicon PIN diodes and , most recently , silicon drift detectors ( SDD )), which offer major advantages over the common “ prop ” counter . These advantages include energy resolutions approximately 5X better than proportional counters , and the ability to analyze light elements ( down to 13-Al ), providing excellent sensitivity for phosphorus measurement . High-resolution solid state detector technology assures high stability and accuracy for ENP applications .
The Bowman XRF technology we supply for electroless nickel plating measurement also offers closed-coupled geometry layout of the X-ray tube and detector . This results in more than three times higher counts , lower detection limits , and heightened precision with shorter measurement time .
Bowman XRF instruments are , for platers of all types , 3 instruments in one . Their primary use is measuring deposit thickness , and in this realm , they simultaneously measure up to 5 coating layers , including ultra-thin films . They also perform elemental analysis and plating solution analysis .
A typical instrument configuration includes a 4-position multiple collimator assembly , a variable focus camera , and a solid state SDD detector , along with a long-life micro-focus x-ray tube .
Bowman XRF plating measurement systems are powered by advanced software that combines intuitive , visual controls with time-saving shortcuts , flexible searchability and “ one-click ” report generation . Users can also create new applications and format reports . All readings save to the database , and all user levels are password protected .
The Bowman XRF instrument suite includes 7 precision plating thickness measurement systems , several of which are tailored to the specific needs of platers . Others were engineered for use in the printed circuit and semiconductor industries .
SciMed is a distributor of laboratory and process equipment specializing in X-ray Fluorescence , as well as X-ray Diffraction , Atomic Absorption , Inductively Coupled Plasma , and Thermal Analysis .
SciMed Ltd . Unit B4 , The Embankment Business Park , Vale Road , Stockport , Cheshire SK4 3GN . Telephone : + 44 ( 0 ) 161 442 9963 Email : enquiries @ scimed . co . uk Visit : www . scimed . co . uk
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