® AMS 2403L

AEROSPACE Issued NOV 1948

MATERIAL Revised OCT 2004

SPECIFICATION Superseding AMS 2403K

Plating, Nickel
General Purpose

1. SCOPE:

1.1 Purpose:

This specification covers the engineering requirements for electrodeposition of nickel and the
properties of the deposit.

1.2 Application:

This process has been used typically to provide moderate corrosion and oxidation resistance to
metal parts but without control of other characteristics, and for the buildup of surfaces, but
usage is not limited to such applications. If a hard plate is required, AMS 2423 should be used;
if a low-stressed plate is required, AMS 2424 should be used.

1.3 Safety - Hazardous Materials:

While the materials, methods, applications, and processes described or referenced in this
specification may involve the use of hazardous materials, this specification does not address
the hazards which may be involved in such use. It is the sole responsibility of the user to ensure
familiarity with the safe and proper use of any hazardous materials and to take necessary
precautionary measures to ensure the health and safety of all personnel involved.

2. APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS:

The issues of the following documents in effect on the date of the purchase order forms a part of
this specification to the extent specified herein. The supplier may work to a subsequent revision of
a document unless a specific document issue is specified. When the referenced document has
been canceled and no superseding document has been specified, the last published issue of that
document shall apply.

SAE Technical Standards Board Rules provide that: “This report is published by SAE to advance the state of technical and engineering sciences. The use of this report is entirely
voluntary, and its applicability and suitability for any particular use, including any patent infringement arising therefrom, is the sole responsibility of the user.”
SAE reviews each technical report at least every five years at which time it may be reaffirmed, revised, or cancelled. SAE invites your written comments and suggestions.
Copyright © 2004 SAE International
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of SAE.
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Tel: 724-776-4970 (outside USA)
Fax: 724-776-0790
Email: custsvc@sae.org
SAE WEB ADDRESS: http://www.sae.org
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2.1 SAE Publications:

Available from SAE, 400 Commonwealth Drive, Warrendale, PA 15096-0001 or www.sae.org.

AMS 2423 Plating, Nickel, Hard Deposit

AMS 2424 Plating, Nickel, Low Stressed Deposit
AMS 2759/9 Hydrogen Embrittlement Relief (Baking) of Steel Parts

2.2 ASTM Publications:

Available from ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, P.O. Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-
2959 or www.astm.org.

ASTM B 117 Operating Salt Spray (Fog) Testing Apparatus

ASTM B 487 Measurement of Metal and Oxide Coating Thicknesses by Microscopical
Examination of a Cross Section
ASTM B 499 Measurement of Coating Thicknesses by the Magnetic Method:
Nonmagnetic Coatings of Magnetic Basis Metals
ASTM B 504 Measurement of Thickness of Metallic Coatings by the Coulometric
Method
ASTM B 568 Measurement of Coating Thickness by X-Ray Spectrometry
ASTM B 571 Adhesion of Metallic Coatings
ASTM E 290 Semi-Guided Bend Test for Ductility of Metallic Materials
ASTM E 376 Measuring of Coating Thickness by Magnetic Field or Eddy Current
(Electromagnetic) Test Methods
ASTM F 519 Mechanical Hydrogen Embrittlement Evaluation of Plating Processes and
Service Environments

3. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS:

3.1 Preparation:

3.1.1 Steel parts having hardness higher than 40 HRC and which have been ground after heat
treatment shall be cleaned to remove surface contamination and suitably stress-relieved
before preparation for plating. Temperatures to which parts are heated shall be such that
maximum stress relief is obtained without reducing hardness of parts below drawing limits but,
unless otherwise specified, not less than 275 °F (135 °C) for not less than five hours for parts
having hardness of 55 HRC or higher or not less than 375 °F (191 °C) for not less than four
hours for other parts.

3.1.2 Parts shall have clean surfaces, free of waterbreak, prior to immersion in the plating solution.

3.1.3 Except for barrel plating, electrical contact points shall be as follows. For parts which are to be
plated all over, locations shall be acceptable to purchaser, for parts which are not to be plated
all over, locations shall be in areas on which plating is not required.

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3.2 Procedure:

3.2.1 Nickel shall be electrodeposited from a suitable plating solution containing no addition agents
which may have a detrimental effect on the properties of the plate or the basis metal;
stress-reducing agents shall not be used unless specifically authorized by purchaser. Except
as specified in 3.2.1.1, nickel shall be deposited directly on the basis metal without a prior
flash coating of metal other than nickel.

3.2.1.1 A preliminary chemical coating, immersion plate, and/or flash is permissible on aluminum,
magnesium, beryllium, and their alloys.

3.3 Hydrogen Embrittlement Relief:

After plating, rinsing, and drying, ferrous parts shall be treated in accordance with AMS 2759/9.
Parts, if plated as an aid to brazing, and if brazed within four hours after completion of plating,
do not require hydrogen embrittlement relief.

3.4 Properties:

3.4.1 Thickness: Thickness shall be determined in accordance with ASTM B 487, ASTM B 499,
ASTM B 504, ASTM B 568, ASTM E 376 or other method acceptable to purchaser.

3.4.1.1 Where "nickel flash" is specified, plate thickness shall be approximately 0.0001 inch
(2.5 µm).

3.4.1.2 For surfaces that will not be machined after plating, the plate shall be substantially uniform
in thickness on significant surfaces except that slight buildup on exterior corners or edges
will be permitted provided finished drawing dimensions are met.

3.4.1.3 Unless otherwise specified on the drawing for specific areas, thickness shall apply to
surfaces of parts that can be touched by a 0.75 inch (19.0 mm) sphere. Surfaces that
cannot be touched by a 0.75 inch (19.0 mm) sphere, such as holes, recesses, internal
threads, and other areas where a controlled deposit cannot be obtained under normal
plating conditions shall not be masked during plating. This requirement will be satisfied for
carbon and low-alloy steels if such surfaces show no film of copper after being immersed in
a solution containing 4 grams copper sulphate CuS04·5H20, 10 grams sulfuric acid H2SO4
(sp. gr. 1.84), and 90 mL distilled water for not less than six minutes at room temperature. If
internal surfaces are required to be plated to meet a thickness requirement, the drawing
shall so specify.

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3.4.2 Adhesion:

3.4.2.1 Specimens: Specimens as in 4.3.3 shall not show separation of the plating from the basis
metal, when examined at approximately 4X magnification, after being bent rapidly, in
accordance with ASTM E 290, through an angle of 180 degrees around a diameter equal to
the thickness of the specimen. Formation of cracks which do not result in flaking or blistering
of the plating is acceptable.

3.4.2.2 Machined Plating: Adhesion of plating after finish machining of the plating will be considered
acceptable evidence of plating adhesion.

3.4.2.3 Parts: When specified by purchaser, there shall be no blisters or other evidence of poor
adhesion when parts are subjected to the heat-quench test of ASTM B 571.

3.4.3 Heat Resistance: Specimens as in 4.3.3, except aluminum and magnesium, shall show no
cracks or blisters in the plate after being heated to 1000 °F ± 25 (538 °C ± 14), held at heat for
not less than two hours, and cooled; heating shall be in a circulating-air furnace.

3.4.4 Corrosion Resistance: Carbon and low-alloy steel parts (except as provided in 3.4.1.3) when
required by purchaser, or test specimens, excluding those parts plated to aid in brazing or
where plating is used for dimensional restoration, shall show no visual evidence of corrosion
after being subjected for not less than 48 hours to a continuous salt spray corrosion test
conducted in accordance with ASTM B 117 when plate is in the following conditions:

3.4.4.1 When specified minimum plate thickness is 0.002 inch (51 µm) or greater, parts or panels
shall withstand the test either after embrittlement relief as in 3.3 or after the heat resistance
test of 3.4.3 following embrittlement relief as in 3.3.

3.4.4.2 When specified minimum plate thickness is 0.0005 inch (12.7 µm) or greater but less than
0.002 inch (51 µm), parts or panels shall withstand the test only after the heat resistance
test of 3.4.3 following embrittlement relief as in 3.3.

3.4.5 Hydrogen Embrittlement: The plating process shall not cause hydrogen embrittlement in
ferrous metals. Testing in accordance with the requirements of ASTM F 519 Type 1A using
notched round specimens, unless a different specimen type is specified by the purchaser,
stressed in tension under constant load, is required only when parts 40 HRC or higher are
plated. For test purposes, plating thickness shall be not less than 0.002 inch (51 µm),
measured on the smooth section of the specimen, but with visual plating at the root of the
notch.

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3.5 Quality:

Plating, as received by purchaser, shall be smooth, continuous, adherent to the basis metal,
and uniform in appearance and shall be visually free from frosty areas, pin holes, porosity,
blisters, nodules, pits, and other imperfections detrimental to usage of the plating. Slight
staining or discoloration is permissible. There shall be no evidence of double plating or
spotting-in after plating.

4. QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS:

4.1 Responsibility for Inspection:

The processor shall supply all samples for processor's tests and shall be responsible for the
performance of all required tests. Where actual parts are to be tested, such parts shall be
supplied by purchaser. Purchaser reserves the right to sample and to perform any confirmatory
testing deemed necessary to ensure that processing conforms to the requirements of this
specification.

4.2 Classification of Tests:

4.2.1 Acceptance Tests: Thickness (3.4.1), adhesion (3.4.2.1, or 3.4.2.3 when specified), and
quality (3.5) are acceptance tests and shall be performed to represent each lot.

4.2.1.1 If the nickel plate is used for braze preparation, acceptance test requirements for thickness
and adhesion may be modified with the approval of the purchaser.

4.2.2 Periodic Tests: Heat resistance (3.4.3), corrosion resistance (3.4.4), and embrittlement (3.4.5)
are periodic tests and shall be performed at a frequency selected by the processing vendor
unless frequency of testing is specified by purchaser. Tests of cleaning and plating solutions
(See 8.6) to ensure that the deposited metal will conform to this specification.

4.2.3 Preproduction Tests: All technical requirements are preproduction tests and shall be
performed prior to or on the initial shipment of plated parts to a purchaser, when a change in
material and/or processing requires reapproval by the cognizant engineering organization
(see 4.4.2), and when purchaser deems confirmatory testing to be required.

4.3 Sampling and Testing:

Shall be not less than the following; a lot shall be all parts of the same part number, plated to
the same range of plate thickness in the same set of solutions, in each consecutive 24 hour
period of operation, and presented for processor's inspection at one time:

4.3.1 For Acceptance Tests: Test samples shall be selected randomly from all parts in the lot. The
minimum number of samples shall be as shown in Table 1.

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TABLE 1 - Sampling for Acceptance Tests

Number of Parts Thickness and
in Lot Quality Adhesion
Up to 7 All 3
8 to 15 7 4
16 to 40 10 4
41 to 110 15 5
111 to 300 25 6
301 to 500 35 7
Over 500 50 8

4.3.2 Periodic Tests: Sample quantity and frequency of testing shall be at the discretion of the
processor unless a test frequency is specified by the purchaser.

4.3.3 When plated parts are of such configuration or size as to be not adaptable to the specified
tests, or for periodic tests as applicable, or when there is no nondestructive test adaptable to
the parts, separate test specimens cleaned, pretreated, plated, and post-treated with the parts
represented may be used. For adhesion tests, such specimens shall be panels of
approximately 0.032 x 1 x 4 inches (0.81 x 25 x 102 mm); for thickness and quality tests, such
specimens shall be panels of the same size and type or shall be bars approximately 0.5 inch
(12.7 mm) in diameter and 4 inches (102 mm) long. For corrosion resistance and heat
resistance tests, specimens shall be panels 0.062 to 0.125 inch (1.57 to 3.18 mm) in nominal
thickness and not less than 4 inches (102 mm) long by 3 inches (76 mm) wide. Except for
corrosion testing, specimens shall be made from material generically similar to the parts, such
as low-alloy steel, age-hardenable nickel alloy, aluminum alloy, or corrosion-resistant steel.
Corrosion test specimens shall be low-alloy steel.

4.4 Approval:

4.4.1 The process and control factors, a sample plated part, or both, whichever is specified, shall be
approved by the cognizant engineering organization before production parts are supplied.

4.4.2 The processor shall make no significant change to materials, processes, or control factors
from those on which approval was based, unless the change is approved by the cognizant
engineering organization. A significant change is one which, in the judgment of the cognizant
engineering organization, would affect the properties or performance of the parts.

4.4.3 Control factors shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

Activation procedure(s)
Composition limits or the plating bath
Plating bath temperature
Plating current (or voltage) limits
Frequency of plating bath composition determination
Tooling and fixturing

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4.4.3 (Continued):

Time in cleaning, activation (pickling), and plating solutions

Stress relief and embrittlement relief bake oven temperatures and times
Method used to determine plating thickness
Periodic test plan.

4.5 Reports:

The processor of plated parts shall furnish with each shipment a report stating that the parts
have been processed and tested in accordance with specified requirements and that they
conform to the acceptance test requirements. This report shall include the purchase order
number, lot number, AMS 2403L, part number, and quantity.

4.6 Resampling and Retesting:

4.6.1 If the results of any acceptance test fail to meet specified test requirements, the parts in that
lot may be stripped by a method acceptable to purchaser that does not roughen, pit, or
chemically embrittle the basis metal, pretreated, plated, post treated as defined herein, and
tested. Alternatively, all parts in the lot may be inspected for the nonconforming attribute, and
the nonconforming parts may be stripped by a method acceptable to purchaser that does not
roughen, pit, or embrittle the basis metal, pretreated, plated, post treated as defined herein,
and tested.

4.6.2 If the results of any periodic test fail to meet specified test requirements, the process is
nonconforming. No additional parts shall be plated until the process is corrected and new
specimens are plated and tested. Results of all tests shall be recorded and, when requested,
reported. Purchaser shall be notified of all parts plated since the last acceptable test.

5. PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY:

5.1 Plated parts shall be handled and packaged to ensure that the required physical characteristics
and properties of the plating are preserved.

5.2 Packages of plated parts shall be prepared for shipment in accordance with commercial
practice and in compliance with applicable rules and regulations pertaining to the handling,
packaging, and transportation of the plated parts to ensure carrier acceptance and safe
delivery.

6. ACKNOWLEDGMENT:

A processor shall mention this specification number and its revision letter in all quotations and
when acknowledging purchase orders.

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7. REJECTIONS:

Parts on which the plating does not conform to this specification, or to modifications authorized by
purchaser, will be subject to rejection.

8. NOTES:

8.1 A change bar (|) located in the left margin is for the convenience of the user in locating areas
where technical revisions, not editorial changes, have been made to the previous issue of this
specification. An (R) symbol to the left of the document title indicates a complete revision of the
specification, including technical revisions. Change bars and (R) are not used in original
publications, nor in specifications that contain editorial changes only.

8.2 Part manufacturing operations, such as heat treatment, forming, joining, and media finishing,
can affect the condition of the substrate for plating, or, if performed after plating, could
adversely affect the plate. The sequencing of these types of operations should be specified by
the cognizant engineering organization and is not controlled by this specification.

8.3 The parts manufacturer should ensure that the surfaces of metal parts supplied to the processor
are free from blemishes, pits, tool marks, and other irregularities that will affect the quality of the
finished parts. Defects and variations in appearance that arise from surface conditions of the
substrate, such as porosity, scratches, or inclusions, that persist in the finished plate despite
observance of industry accepted plating practices would not be considered as cause for
rejection.

8.4 An acid dip may be used for surface activation or neutralization of residual alkaline cleaners.
However, the immersion time should be minimized to preclude pitting and hydrogen
embrittlement.

8.5 ARP4992, Periodic Test Plan for Process Solutions, is recommended to satisfy the requirement
for control of processing solutions.

8.6 Dimensions and properties in inch/pound units and the Fahrenheit temperatures are primary;
dimensions and properties in SI units and the Celsius temperatures are shown as the
approximate equivalents of the primary units and are presented only for information.

8.7 Purchase documents should specify not less than the following:

AMS 2403L
Plate thickness desired
Quantity of pieces to be plated.

8.8 Key Words:

Corrosion resistance, oxidation resistance, surface buildup, nickel plating

PREPARED UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF AMS COMMITTEE “B”

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