Effects of Electroplating Process on the Performance of Nickel Coatings on Tungsten Wires

SU Lirong; WEI Kehong; LIU Wei; HU Wenyi; HU Chenglu; XIE Xiuzhen; LE Qichi

doi:10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.18.019

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Surface Technology ›› 2026, Vol. 55 ›› Issue (18) : 229-239. DOI: 10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.18.019

Functional Surfaces and Technology

Effects of Electroplating Process on the Performance of Nickel Coatings on Tungsten Wires

SU Lirong^1a, WEI Kehong^1b,2, LIU Wei^1b,2, HU Wenyi^1a,1b,2,*, HU Chenglu^1b,2, XIE Xiuzhen^1b,2, LE Qichi^1b,2

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Abstract

At present, relevant researches focusing on the nickel electroplating technology for tungsten wires are still rather limited. Nevertheless, tungsten probes are widely utilized in the probe card industry, which renders the research on nickel electroplating of tungsten wires of great practical value and exploratory significance. The work aims to systematically investigate the effects of various electroplating process parameters on the nickel coatings deposited on tungsten wire surfaces.
Nickel electroplating experiments on tungsten wires were implemented under a fixed temperature of 45 ℃ and a current density of 2.5 A/dm², and nickel coatings with outstanding interfacial bonding strength were successfully prepared in the experiment. A series of characterization methods including electronic magnifier observation, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were adopted to analyze the as-deposited nickel layers. The work quantitatively clarifies how three key parameters, namely electroplating time, hydrochloric acid concentration and main salt concentration, affect four critical indicators of nickel coatings: coating integrity, surface morphology, coating thickness and plating cell voltage.
The experimental results reveal that the thickness of nickel coatings increases with the extension of electroplating duration, as well as the rising concentration of hydrochloric acid and main salt. Within the electroplating time range from 40 seconds to 80 seconds, the nickel coating becomes progressively uniform and compact as the plating process proceeds. However, once the electroplating time exceeds 120 seconds, continuous metal deposition will occur over an excessively long period, which gradually triggers uneven distribution and poor flatness of the nickel coating.
No intact and continuous nickel coating can be obtained on tungsten substrates if no hydrochloric acid is added to the plating bath. A fully covered nickel layer will form when the hydrochloric acid concentration reaches 10 ml/L. When the hydrochloric acid concentration is adjusted within the range of 20 mL/L to 40 mL/L, the nickel coating turns denser and smoother with the increase of hydrochloric acid dosage. Meanwhile, the plating cell voltage declines gradually and maintains a stable level as hydrochloric acid concentration rises. Hydrochloric acid plays two vital roles in the electroplating system: it stabilizes the pH value of plating solution, which contributes to the formation of smooth and delicate nickel coatings, and additionally, it activates the anode to guarantee stable metal ion dissolution.
With regard to the main salt, if its concentration is lower than 100 g/L, the tungsten wire substrate cannot be fully covered by nickel deposition, and the plating cell voltage decreases and tends to stay steady as the main salt concentration goes up. Nickel chloride (NiCl₂) is selected as the main salt in this plating system. A relatively high concentration of nickel chloride supplies abundant nickel ions in the bath, facilitating the close and ordered arrangement of nickel ions during electrodeposition, so as to construct nickel coatings with superior microstructure and comprehensive quality.
After comprehensive evaluation of coating integrity, surface flatness, thickness uniformity and stable operating voltage, the optimal combination of process parameters is determined: electroplating time of 100 s, hydrochloric acid concentration of 20 ml/L and main salt concentration of 100 g/L. Under this optimized parameter combination, nickel coatings with excellent overall performance can be successfully fabricated on the surface of tungsten wire substrates.

Key words

tungsten wire / electroplated nickel / process parameter / morphology / coating performance

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SU Lirong, WEI Kehong, LIU Wei, HU Wenyi, HU Chenglu, XIE Xiuzhen, LE Qichi. Effects of Electroplating Process on the Performance of Nickel Coatings on Tungsten Wires[J]. Surface Technology. 2026, 55(18): 229-239

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Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (52274377, 52304391); Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province (2023- MSBA-133); Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(N2402010); Fujian Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (2025J01384); Basic Research Program of Jiangsu (BK20243005)