Some electrochemical aspects of the electroless nickel process with hypophosphite

Abstract

Several theories are given in the literature to explain the mechanism of the electroless nickel process with hypophosphite as reducing agent. One theory considers electroless deposition as a purely electrochemical process, namely as a combination of several electrochemical reactions occuring at the same electrode. If this is true, a separation of these reactions at different electrodes should be possible. Results of experiments performed to check this assumption are given in this paper.