Atotech發表應用于鋁合金的鋅電鍍涂層技術Alumseal® 611

　　鋁是相當容易產生反應的金屬且與氧接觸時容易產生氧化層。氧化層的存在在做金屬硬化處理時會是個大問題，因為會影響到后續電鍍層與鋁質表面的黏合。為了避免在預先處理階段和實施化學鍍鎳前鋁產生氧化層，通常會以鋅酸鹽加工法在表面形成薄薄的鋅涂層。在實施化學鍍鎳時，所產生累積的鋅污染物則會限制電鍍浴槽的壽命到3-4 MTO。

　　Atotech所開發全新的鋅酸鹽加工法Alumseal® 611可以產生非常薄的鋅電鍍涂層，減少化學鍍鎳時所產生的鋅污染物量。Alumseal® 611的設計可延長化學鍍鎳浴槽壽命至6 MTO以上。相較于現有的鋅酸鹽加工法，Alumseal® 611可以讓鋁合金上面的鋅電鍍涂層重量減輕30-60%。

　　Atotech化學鍍鎳抗磨損涂層的全球產品經理Shakeel Akhtar 表示:「當使用全新Alumseal® 611鋅酸鹽加工法結合化學鍍鎳加工法Nichem® MP 1188，電鍍浴槽的壽命就可以提高至8 MTO。Atotech是首家在這領域達到創新突破的廠商。」

　　由于可產生較少的鋅累積量和對鋅污染物較高的承受度，化學鍍鎳的效率在較高的平均電鍍速度下得以獲得改善。Alumseal® 611 結合Nichem® MP 1188應用隊在這領域有高度需求的產業客戶來說提供技術和經濟考量層面的優勢。

　　Alumseal® 611: New Zincate for Aluminum Alloys Designed to Extend the Electroless Nickel Process Bath Life

　　Aluminum is a very reactive metal and has a tendency to form an oxide layer very rapidly when in contact with oxygen. The presence of the oxide layer is not desirable in cases where the surface has to be metallized. The adhesion of subsequent coatings applied on the aluminum surface is adversely affected by the oxide layer. To avoid the rapid oxidation of aluminum during the pretreatment steps and prior to electroless nickel or electroplating, it is a common practice to cover the surface with a thin uniform film of zinc by use of a zincate process. In the case of electroless nickel (EN) plating, the build-up of zinc contamination limits the bath life to 3 – 4 MTO.

　　A new zincate process, Alumseal® 611, has been developed by Atotech to provide very thin zinc coatings in order to reduce the amount of Zn contamination in the EN bath, thus eliminating the need for an EN strike bath. Alumseal® 611 is designed to extend the bath life of the EN process to >6 MTO. Alumseal® 611 has demonstrated that coating weight of the zinc film is reduced by 30 – 60% on aluminum alloys when compared to existing zincate processes.

　　“When using the new Alumseal® 611 zincate process in combination with the high Zn tolerant electroless nickel process Nichem® MP 1188, the bath life can be extended up to 8 MTO without an EN strike bath”, states Shakeel Akhtar, Global Product Manager for Wear resistant coatings (EN) at Atotech. “Atotech is the first company to achieve this milestone within the plating industry.”

　　Due to low Zn build-up and high tolerance to Zn contamination, the efficiency of the EN bath is improved through higher average plating speed. The combination of Alumseal® 611 & Nichem® MP 1188 provides technical and economic benefits for the customer in a highly demanding industry.