FI-E300 is an alkaline electroless nickel plating process formulated for moulded plastic parts. A conventional nickel bath assumes a metal substrate; this one deposits directly onto plastic at a low working temperature, so thin walls, sharp mouldings and good surfaces keep their shape through the cycle. The bath is built from three components — an additive, a base solution and a work replenisher — and it runs on continuous filtration.
What the bath delivers. Reaction speed is fast for a low-temperature system, the bath holds its stability through long production runs, and a made-up bath has a long enough service life to justify charging a full tank. The nickel phosphorus plating that forms on the part is fine-grained with few pits and bonds firmly to the plastic — which is exactly what a decorative or functional plastic component needs before it moves on to the next finishing step.
Coverage that follows the geometry. The layer builds at the same rate on a flat face, inside a recess and around an edge, so a moulding with ribs and deep pockets does not come out with thin, porous patches where the shape would otherwise have shielded it. On a complex part, that uniformity is what separates electroless plating that protects from a coating that fails first at the worst corner.
A harder, longer-wearing surface. The electroless nickel coating raises the hardness of the plastic surface, so the part stands up to abrasion, repeated handling and the scrape of assembly. Components that were being replaced because a contact face had worn through usually stay in service considerably longer.
Corrosion protection that holds up outdoors. Damp, salt air and cleaning chemicals are the conditions where a plated plastic part earns its cost back, and the deposit resists all three. That is why the finish turns up on outdoor housings, marine fittings and parts that are washed down as part of their normal life.
A practical cost position. Against machining a metal part or running a more elaborate finishing route, plating the moulding is the cheaper way to put a metal surface on a plastic component — the part already exists, and the electroless nickel plating solution gives it the surface properties without a second forming step.
Every parameter in electroless plating has a window rather than a single number. Additive E300A runs from 30 to 50 ml/L and base solution E300B from 50 to 70 ml/L; pH runs from 8 to 9, temperature from 28 to 38 °C, and immersion time from 5 to 10 minutes.
Where you sit inside those windows changes the character of the bath. Toward the lower end of the additive and base ranges the bath is leaner — sensible for light loading, thin deposits and short cycles, and it costs less to charge. Toward the upper end it carries heavier work and holds its balance longer between corrections. Temperature behaves the same way: the cooler end is kinder to a delicate moulding, the warmer end plates faster. Time is the parameter you use to reach a target, with short cycles for a thin layer and the long end of the window when the part needs more coverage.
Two practical notes. pH and temperature move together, so check pH once the bath is at temperature rather than while it is still heating up. And pick a point inside the window and stay there: a bath pushed from one end of the range to the other between shifts gives inconsistent nickel phosphorus plating even when every individual reading still looks acceptable.
| Parameter | Working range | Optimum |
|---|---|---|
| Additive E300A | 30–50 ml/L | 40 ml/L |
| Base solution E300B | 50–70 ml/L | 60 ml/L |
| Replenisher E300C | Added to the working bath as required | — |
| pH | 8–9 | 8.5 |
| Temperature | 28–38 °C | 32 °C |
| Immersion time | 5–10 minutes | 8 minutes |
| Bath type | Alkaline electroless nickel plating | — |
| Substrate | Moulded plastic parts | — |
| Filtration | Dedicated filter, run continuously | — |
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Payment | 100% T/T in advance |
| Minimum order quantity | Varies by chemical; confirmed with our sales team per order |
| Lead time | 2 weeks |
| Packing | 10 kg/box; 25 kg or 50 kg/bag; 20 kg, 25 kg, 30 kg or 200 kg/drum; 1,000 kg/IBC drum |
| Shipping | Per the terms agreed in the current contract |
| Warranty | Inspection certificate issued after delivery, stating the batch number and warranty period |
Choosing the right match is where most sourcing decisions stall. As a trading supplier, we keep one point of contact from first enquiry to after-sales: tell us what you are making and the conditions you work under, and we shortlist the closest matches from our supplier network, compare specifications and arrange samples before you commit to a bulk order. If something does not behave as expected, we work with the supplying partner on the cause and a practical fix, and stay with the case until it is settled. Email, WeChat or WhatsApp enquiries get a reply within 24 hours.
It is built for plastic substrates, and that is where it performs as intended. A metal part is normally better served by a nickel process made for metal, because the make-up and the working window are set up differently. If your part is a moulding with metal inserts already in place, tell us the insert material and we will say how the electroless nickel plating process behaves around it.
Time in the bath is the lever. Once temperature and concentration are at their set points, a longer immersion gives a heavier electroless nickel coating and a shorter one gives a thin layer. Choose the cycle inside the working window that meets your drawing, then hold it repeatably — variation between parts usually comes from cycle time drifting, not from the chemistry.
No. The layer forms by chemical reduction, so the electroless plating process does not need current to pass through the part, and there are no anodes or current-density settings to balance. Parts can be carried on simple fixtures as long as the solution reaches every surface and the parts do not nest against each other.
No. A chemical nickel bath co-deposits phosphorus with the nickel, so what forms on the part is an alloy — that is what nickel phosphorus plating means in practice. The phosphorus level that suits your specification should be confirmed with our technical team before you commit a production bath.
No. The bath is built in your own tank from the three components, so the electroless nickel plating solution you run is mixed to your tank volume rather than shipped as a finished liquid. That also makes make-up water and tank cleanliness part of your result, and both are worth checking before the first charge.
