| HS Code | 834647 |
| Product Name | Nickel Plating Solution (Guanghua Technology RSBNiP10 Semi-Bright Nickel Plating Solution) Electronic/EL Grade |
| Form | Liquid |
| Appearance | Clear, colorless to light green solution |
| Chemical System | High-purity semi-bright nickel sulfamate |
| Nickel Content | 100 g/L (typical) |
| Boric Acid Content | 40 g/L (typical) |
| Ph Range | 3.8 to 4.2 |
| Specific Gravity | 1.20 to 1.25 |
| Operating Temperature | 50 to 60 °C |
| Cathodic Current Density | 1 to 10 A/dm² |
| Impurity Limits | Fe < 5 ppm, Cu < 2 ppm, Zn < 1 ppm, Pb < 1 ppm |
| Storage Shelf Life | 12 months |
As an accredited Nickel Plating Solution (Guanghua Technology RSBNiP10 Semi-Bright Nickel Plating Solution) Electronic/EL Grade factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Supplied in a 20 L HDPE jerrican; each container holds 20 liters of Electronic/EL Grade semi-bright nickel plating solution. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | A 20′ FCL of Guanghua RSBNiP10 Semi-Bright Nickel Plating Solution (Electronic/EL Grade), loaded securely in sealed drums/pails for safe transport. |
| Shipping | Nickel Plating Solution (Guanghua Technology RSBNiP10 Semi-Bright Nickel Plating Solution) Electronic/EL Grade ships as **UN3082, Environmentally Hazardous Substance, Liquid, n.o.s. (nickel sulfate)**, Class 9, Packing Group III. It requires leak-proof packaging, hazard and marine pollutant labeling, and segregation from foodstuffs. |
| Storage | Store in a clean, tightly sealed original container in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area, away from direct sunlight, heat sources, and incompatible materials like strong oxidizers or acids. Maintain temperatures between 5–35°C to prevent decomposition or crystallization. Avoid contamination, moisture ingress, and freezing. Keep out of reach of unauthorized personnel. Inspect regularly and use within the manufacturer’s stated shelf life. |
| Shelf Life | Shelf life is six months from manufacture when stored sealed in the original container at recommended temperature, away from sunlight and contamination. |
On copper alloy leadframe strip moving at 0.8–1.2 m/min through a reel-to-reel selective plating line, the RSBNiP10 semi-bright nickel electrolyte is deposited before silver spot plating to suppress solid-state copper diffusion during die attach and wire bonding. The working bath uses the as-supplied electronic-grade solution at 100% volume, with nickel ion held at 75–85 g/L, boric acid at 38–45 g/L, and a replenisher addition ratio of 0.15–0.20 mL per ampere-hour based on rectifier ampere-hour totalisation; a separate wetter package is adjusted only after drag-out titration to 0.1–0.3 mL/L. The cathode current density is set at 2–5 A/dm², bath temperature at 50–55 °C, and pH at 3.8–4.1. Sulfur-depolarized nickel anodes in titanium baskets with polypropylene anode bags are used, with single-pass electrolyte flow of 1.5–2.5 m³/h per cell and filtration through 1 µm polypropylene cartridges. The production bottleneck observed on high-speed lines is skip plating when stamping oil carryover exceeds 10 mg/L; another failure mode is roughness caused by anode bag tears releasing nickel fines into the cell. Deposit sulfur content is maintained below 0.005 wt% to avoid embrittlement during silver spot plating and wire bonding. Industry compliance is anchored to ASTM B545-13 section 6.2 for thickness measurement, ASTM B571-23 for bend adhesion, and JESD22-B105 for wire bond pull threshold. Terminal finished product types include exposed-pad QFN, SOP-8, TSSOP-16, and TO-252 leadframe packages, with nickel thickness typically 1.5–3.0 µm under silver spot layers of 2.0–4.0 µm.
Press-fit pin insertion force in automotive connector terminals is governed by normal force, geometry, and nickel thickness uniformity. RSBNiP10 semi-bright nickel is run in barrel or vibratory plating lines at 0.5–1.2 A/dm², 50–55 °C, pH 3.8–4.2, for 60–100 min to deposit 2.5–5.0 µm nickel. The bath is 100% as-supplied RSBNiP10; nickel ion is maintained at 75–85 g/L, boric acid at 38–42 g/L, wetter at 0.2–0.4 mL/L, and replenisher is added at 0.18–0.22 mL/A·h through a diaphragm metering pump slaved to the rectifier amp-hour counter. Barrel rotation is 8–12 rpm in 2 mm perforated 316L stainless steel barrels with a load factor of 30–40%. Deposit sulfur is kept below 0.005 wt%; if bright nickel drag-in raises sulfur above 0.01 wt%, transverse bend tests per ASTM B489 show ductility loss. Contact resistance is measured per EIA-364-53, and insertion force is specified per USCAR-2. The finished terminals are used in automotive ECU connectors, EV battery management system terminals, and airbag squib connectors, where tin topcoats or hard gold on nickel are applied.
Barrel plating of multilayer ceramic capacitor terminations after copper sintering introduces a series of edge coverage challenges in 0201 and 0402 parts because centrifugal forces generate inconsistent solution exchange within the load. The RSBNiP10 electrolyte is used at 100% volume, with nickel ion at 75–85 g/L, boric acid at 38–45 g/L, wetter at 0.05–0.10 mL/L, and replenisher at 120–160 mL per 1,000 A·h. Plating is carried out in centrifugal barrels with 1.5 mm mesh, bath capacity 50–80 L, load mass 3–5 kg, rotation speed 15–20 rpm, cathode current density 0.2–0.5 A/dm², and temperature 50–55 °C. Nickel thickness on chip terminations is 1.5–2.5 µm; this layer functions as a diffusion barrier between the copper termination and the tin outer layer. Filtration through 0.5 µm polypropylene cartridges is required to prevent particle inclusion. Compliance testing follows AEC-Q200 Rev E for passive component qualification, IEC 60068-2-58 for solderability, and RoHS 2011/65/EU for restricted substance control. Terminal finished product types include 0201, 0402, and 0603 X5R/X7R multilayer ceramic capacitors and ferrite chip beads.
| Application segment | Primary compliance standard | Key test method or clause | Nickel thickness window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semiconductor leadframes | ASTM B545-13 | ASTM B571-23 bend adhesion, JESD22-B105 wire bond pull | 1.5–3.0 µm |
| Press-fit automotive terminals | USCAR-2 | EIA-364-53 contact resistance, ASTM B489 ductility | 2.5–5.0 µm |
| MLCC terminations | AEC-Q200 Rev E | IEC 60068-2-58 solderability, RoHS 2011/65/EU | 1.5–2.5 µm |
| PCB edge card fingers | IPC-6012 class 3 | ASTM B488-18 gold over nickel, ASTM B545-13 thickness | 2.5–5.0 µm |
| Power module leadframes | AEC-Q101 | IEC 60068-2-58 solderability, ASTM B545-13 thickness | 3–6 µm |
| Quartz crystal packages | IEC 60679-1:2017 | MIL-PRF-55310G, IEC 60068-2-14 thermal cycling | 1.5–3.0 µm |
Printed circuit board edge card fingers are plated with semi-bright nickel under cobalt-hardened gold to prevent copper migration into gold and to provide a corrosion-resistant underlayer. The tab plating line runs at 0.5–1.0 m/min, with a nickel cell current density of 2–4 A/dm², bath temperature 50–55 °C, pH 3.8–4.2, and deposit thickness 2.5–5.0 µm. The RSBNiP10 electrolyte is maintained at 100% volume, nickel ion at 75–85 g/L, boric acid at 38–45 g/L, and replenisher is metered at 0.16–0.20 mL/A·h; wetter concentration is kept below 0.3 mL/L to avoid pitting on high-aspect-ratio finger edges. Nickel anodes are bagged; anode current density is controlled at 1–2 A/dm² to prevent anode polarization. The downstream process includes alkaline degreasing, microetching of the copper edge, drag-out recovery after nickel, cobalt-hardened gold plating at 0.75–1.25 µm, and final hot-water rinse. Compliance is anchored to IPC-6012 class 3 surface finish requirements, ASTM B488-18 for gold over nickel, and ASTM B545-13 for nickel thickness. Terminal finished product types include PCIe 5.0/6.0 edge fingers, DDR5 DIMM contacts, and backplane slot connectors.
For power module leadframes and busbars where ultrasonic wedge bonding of aluminum wires occurs after nickel deposition, internal stress and grain structure control take precedence over leveling. The RSBNiP10 bath is operated at 55–60 °C, pH 3.8–4.2, and cathode current density 3–8 A/dm² to deposit 3–6 µm nickel with a columnar grain structure. The working electrolyte is the as-supplied solution at 100% volume; nickel ion is maintained at 75–85 g/L, boric acid at 38–45 g/L, and replenisher is dosed at 0.15–0.20 mL/A·h. Selective jet plating is used on bare copper leadframes for IGBT and SiC MOSFET modules, with rectifier ripple below 5% RMS and nozzle pressure of 1.0–1.5 bar. The nickel layer must remain pore-free after silver or palladium-gold topcoats; porosity testing is performed by electrographic method. Standards include AEC-Q101, IEC 60068-2-58 for solderability, and ASTM B545-13 for thickness measurement. Terminal finished product types include IGBT modules, SiC MOSFET power modules, and power discrete clips. Published data for this specific configuration is limited to qualification reports; the bath parameters above are supplied by the electrolyte manufacturer and verified by in-line X-ray fluorescence.
| Parameter | Leadframe selective plating | Press-fit barrel plating | MLCC centrifugal barrel | Edge card tab plating | Power module selective jet | Crystal package rack plating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cathode current density | 2–5 A/dm² | 0.5–1.2 A/dm² | 0.2–0.5 A/dm² | 2–4 A/dm² | 3–8 A/dm² | 1–3 A/dm² |
| Temperature | 50–55 °C | 50–55 °C | 50–55 °C | 50–55 °C | 55–60 °C | 50–55 °C |
| pH | 3.8–4.1 | 3.8–4.2 | 3.8–4.2 | 3.8–4.2 | 3.8–4.2 | 3.8–4.2 |
| Nickel thickness | 1.5–3.0 µm | 2.5–5.0 µm | 1.5–2.5 µm | 2.5–5.0 µm | 3–6 µm | 1.5–3.0 µm |
| Replenisher addition | 0.15–0.20 mL/A·h | 0.18–0.22 mL/A·h | 120–160 mL/1,000 A·h | 0.16–0.20 mL/A·h | 0.15–0.20 mL/A·h | 100–140 mL/1,000 A·h |
Quartz crystal units with ceramic packages use a nickel underlayer on seal rings and electrodes before gold or tin-lead plating to promote adherence and reduce thermal mismatch stress. The RSBNiP10 bath is rack-plated at 1–3 A/dm², 50–55 °C, pH 3.8–4.2, for 1.5–3.0 µm deposit thickness. The make-up is 100% electronic-grade solution, with nickel ion at 75–85 g/L, boric acid at 38–45 g/L, and replenisher addition at 100–140 mL/1,000 A·h. Plating is followed by a hydrogen embrittlement bake for ferrous substrates at 180–200 °C for 2–4 h. Compliance standards include IEC 60679-1:2017 for quartz crystal units, MIL-PRF-55310G for crystal oscillators, and ASTM B545-13 for thickness measurement. Terminal finished product types include 32.768 kHz tuning fork crystals, TCXO, and OCXO packages. Published data for this specific configuration is limited; therefore, low-stress deposit qualification is determined by thermal cycling per IEC 60068-2-14 and seal adhesion tests.
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Guanghua Technology RSBNiP10 Semi-Bright Nickel Plating Solution, designated Electronic/EL Grade, is a liquid nickel electroplating electrolyte intended for the deposition of low-sulfur semi-bright nickel on copper, copper-alloy, nickel-preplated, and selectively masked current-carrying features in printed circuit board edge connectors, lead frames, semiconductor package substrates, and related electronic interconnect fabrication. The product is supplied as a concentrate requiring dilution with deionized water and routine replenishment of nickel salts, boric acid, chloride, and proprietary additive packages. Unlike bright nickel processes, RSBNiP10 deposits are formulated to minimize sulfur co-deposition and to retain ductility after subsequent thermal excursions. The Electronic/EL Grade designation is associated with tighter control of trace metallic impurities, insoluble particulates, and organic residues that can generate microvoids, nodular growth, or premature additive breakdown in fine-pitch plating. Published values for the specific RSBNiP10 proprietary additive package are limited; the following operating data are therefore given as representative of electronic-grade semi-bright nickel systems of this class and must be verified against the batch certificate of analysis and manufacturer’s technical data sheet. Batch-to-batch variation in nickel salt lot purity and additive carrier stability is controlled by incoming titration, Hull cell testing, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy before release to production.
Control of RSBNiP10 is governed by the interdependence of nickel ion concentration, boric acid buffering, chloride content, pH, temperature, agitation, and cathode current density. The electrolyte is typically operated in a nickel sulfate/nickel chloride matrix with boric acid buffering. If nickel metal concentration falls below 60 g/L, the limiting current density decreases and high-current-density areas become dull or burnt. If nickel metal exceeds 90 g/L, drag-out losses increase and additive consumption rises without a proportional increase in allowable current density. Boric acid is maintained at 35–45 g/L to stabilize cathode film pH; depletion below 30 g/L promotes pitting and nodular growth. Temperature is held at 50–60 °C. Above 62 °C, organic additive decomposition accelerates; below 48 °C, current efficiency and deposit ductility decline. pH is maintained at 3.8–4.4. A pH below 3.5 increases hydrogen evolution and reduces cathode efficiency; a pH above 4.8 risks precipitation of nickel hydroxide and can produce nodular defects. Continuous filtration through 1–5 µm polypropylene cartridges is necessary to remove particulate matter that can form nodules on vertical surfaces.
| Parameter | Typical range | Control method |
|---|---|---|
| Total nickel metal as Ni²⁺ | 60–90 g/L | EDTA titration or ICP-OES |
| Nickel chloride hexahydrate | 30–45 g/L | Mohr chloride titration |
| Boric acid | 35–45 g/L | Mannitol acid-base titration |
| pH | 3.8–4.4 | Calibrated pH meter; nickel carbonate or dilute sulfuric acid adjustment |
| Temperature | 50–60 °C | PID-controlled immersion heater with PT100 sensor |
| Cathode current density | 1–6 A/dm² | DC rectifier with ampere-hour metering |
| Anode current density | 1–3 A/dm² | Titanium baskets, polypropylene anode bags |
| Agitation | Low-pressure air or eductor flow | Uniform cathode surface flow without excessive turbulence |
| Filtration | Continuous 1–5 µm | Differential pressure monitoring, cartridge replacement |
| Cathode efficiency | 95–98% | Amp-hour mass balance, thickness measurement |
In printed circuit board edge-contact and lead-frame production, RSBNiP10 is generally used to deposit a semi-bright nickel layer of 1.5–5.0 µm beneath electrolytic hard gold. The nickel layer functions as a diffusion barrier that retards copper migration into the gold surface during solder reflow, wire bonding, and elevated-temperature service. Thickness uniformity within the functional contact area is commonly held to ±15% or better; larger deviation indicates anode passivation, poor current distribution, excessive rectifier ripple, or insufficient agitation. The electrolyte is compatible with soluble nickel anode configurations. High-purity electrolytic nickel squares or rounds in titanium baskets with polypropylene anode bags are standard. Insoluble anodes are not typical for this chemistry because sustained operation without nickel dissolution shifts the anion balance, increases oxygen evolution, and accelerates organic additive oxidation. For reel-to-reel plating, the bath is operated in the upper current-density range to achieve production throughput while maintaining ductility; for rack plating, current densities in the lower half of the range reduce edge build-up. After nickel plating, a water rinse and acid activation step precede hard gold deposition; the nickel surface must remain free of passive oxide and organic contamination.
Temperature excursions below 50 °C reduce ion mobility, increase solution viscosity, and narrow the usable current-density window. Local current densities that produce sound, semi-bright deposits at 55 °C can produce grey, high-stress deposits at 45 °C because cathodic polarization increases and nickel ion replenishment at the cathode film becomes transport-limited. Internal tensile stress in semi-bright nickel deposits is generally maintained below 70 MPa; a persistently cooled bath can shift stress toward tensile values above 100 MPa, which is detrimental when subsequent gold plating or thermal cycling is specified. Cathode current efficiency may fall from 95–98% to 88–92% below 45 °C, increasing hydrogen evolution and the risk of hydrogen-assisted void formation after wire bonding. Additive consumption does not decrease at low temperature; instead, polarizing additives may accumulate because the adsorption-desorption equilibrium shifts, requiring Hull cell monitoring and possible activated carbon treatment to remove decomposition products. The relation between temperature and deposition rate is not linear: a drop from 55 °C to 45 °C can reduce the maximum practical cathode current density by 25–40%, increasing dwell time for a given thickness. If a line must operate below 50 °C because of substrate thermal limits, the rectifier current should be reduced and the pH adjusted to the lower half of the control range; however, published data for the specific RSBNiP10 additive system under sustained low-temperature operation are limited, so this condition should be validated by Hull cell and pilot panels before production.
RSBNiP10 differs from bright nickel and electroless nickel in sulfur content, internal stress, ductility, and corrosion behavior. Semi-bright nickel deposits of this class are controlled to sulfur concentrations below 0.005 wt%, whereas conventional bright nickel deposits contain 0.03–0.08 wt% sulfur from organic brightener systems. The low sulfur content prevents the formation of sacrificial sulfur-rich grain-boundary networks; semi-bright deposits therefore show improved corrosion resistance and higher ductility. Bright nickel is harder and more leveling but is more brittle and more susceptible to galvanic corrosion at grain boundaries. Compared with electroless nickel-phosphorus, the RSBNiP10 class is an electrolytic process that requires current distribution control but produces a deposit with lower contact resistance and better compatibility with subsequent electrolytic gold plating. Electroless nickel provides thickness uniformity on complex geometries without rectifier control, but its higher hardness and phosphorus content make wire-bonding and solder joint performance dependent on post-plating heat treatment. Where applicable, electroplated nickel coatings are specified according to ISO 4526:2004; however, electronic edge-connector requirements are usually controlled by customer-specific thickness, porosity, and thermal aging criteria.
| Property | Semi-bright nickel (RSBNiP10 class) | Bright nickel | Electroless nickel-phosphorus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sulfur content | <0.005 wt% | 0.03–0.08 wt% | 0 wt%; phosphorus 4–10 wt% |
| Internal stress | 0–70 MPa low tensile/compressive | 100–200 MPa tensile | 50–150 MPa depending phosphorus |
| Elongation | 10–20% | 1–5% | 0.5–2% |
| Hardness | 300–400 HV | 500–600 HV | 500–700 HV as-deposited |
| Corrosion behavior | Barrier without sulfur-rich grain boundaries; reduced galvanic acceleration | Sulfur-assisted grain-boundary corrosion susceptibility | Uniform barrier; may require post-plating heat treatment |
| Plating control | DC rectifier required; thickness varies with current density | DC rectifier required; wide bright range | Chemical autocatalytic; uniform on complex shapes |
Relative to nickel sulfamate electrolytes, a sulfate/chloride semi-bright nickel process of this class typically exhibits higher internal stress and lower maximum deposition rate, but its grain structure and leveling behavior are suited to subsequent hard gold plating on printed circuit board features. Sulfamate nickel deposits may have lower stress and higher elongation, but require more rigorous impurity control and are generally more expensive. Compared with bright nickel, the RSBNiP10 product is formulated to avoid sulfur-bearing brighteners; the resulting deposit is more ductile and less prone to grain-boundary corrosion, but it does not produce a mirror-bright finish. If a full-bright layer is required for cosmetic surfaces or additional leveling, a separate bright nickel strike is applied over the semi-bright layer; the two baths must not be cross-contaminated because sulfur-bearing brighteners will destroy the semi-bright barrier function. This segregation is a key operational difference between RSBNiP10 and single-bath bright nickel systems.
Bath maintenance requires monitoring nickel metal, chloride, boric acid, pH, surface tension, and additive concentration by ampere-hour or Hull cell control. Metallic impurities accumulate from substrate dissolution and anode impurities. Copper contamination above 10 mg/L can produce dark deposits at low current density and poor adhesion; iron above 20 mg/L increases deposit stress and pitting; zinc above 10 mg/L causes grey streaks. Organic impurities from dry-film resists or decomposed additives can cause pitting and loss of leveling; treatment with activated carbon at 2–5 g/L is used to remove organic breakdown products, followed by filtration and additive replenishment. Sulfur-bearing compounds must not be added to the semi-bright nickel bath because sulfur co-deposition above 0.005 wt% degrades corrosion and wire-bonding performance. High-purity electrolytic nickel anode material is specified; sulfur-depolarized anode material is not used in the semi-bright bath. Surface tension is maintained in the range 35–45 mN/m by addition of a non-ionic wetting agent; low surface tension reduces hydrogen bubble pinning and pitting on vertical surfaces.
Adhesion of the RSBNiP10 deposit to copper or nickel-preplated substrates is verified by bend testing according to ASTM B571-23 or by tape testing for printed circuit contacts. Porosity is assessed by ferroxyl or electrographic tests on the finished edge connector stack. A semi-bright nickel thickness of 2.0–3.0 µm under 0.8–1.2 µm electrolytic hard gold is a common edge-connector configuration; at thickness below 1.5 µm, the probability of open pores increases, permitting copper diffusion into the gold. At thickness above 5.0 µm, deposit stress may reduce ductility during subsequent forming or thermal cycling. Thermal aging at 150 °C for 1 h is used to screen diffusion barrier integrity; copper migration is detected by Auger electron spectroscopy depth profiling or cross-sectional energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The semi-bright nickel layer must be free of sulfur-rich grain boundaries and nodular defects because these features act as fast diffusion paths and can cause wire-bond lift failures or solder voiding under thermal stress. Electrodeposited nickel films are also tested for internal stress by the spiral contractometer or bent-strip method; values above 100 MPa tensile are generally rejected for edge-connector applications requiring subsequent gold plating.
Operational boundaries include the need for pre-cleaning and microetching of copper surfaces before nickel plating; residues of alkaline etchants or dry-film developers cause skip plating and adhesion loss. The bath is incompatible with strong oxidizers, cyanide solutions, and sulfur-bearing brighteners. Rinsing after nickel plating must be sufficient to prevent drag-out contamination of the gold bath; nickel drag-out above 10 mg/L in the gold bath can reduce gold deposit purity and increase contact resistance. Wastewater containing nickel salts requires treatment to meet local discharge limits; the product is subject to hazard communication and safe handling under REACH and RoHS registration obligations where applicable. Published data for the specific RSBNiP10 formulation under all application conditions are limited; process validation should therefore be performed on the actual production line with the intended substrate, photoresist, and gold plating sequence.
