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 460 

Nickel Composites

Apticote 460 coated parts

Coatings within the APTICOTE 460 family add the protective power of low friction polymers to the natural hardness and corrosion-resistance of nickel.

When applied to any ferrous alloy, including stainless steel, copper alloys and titanium, APTICOTE 460 coatings impart particularly high levels of wear resistance and permanent lubricity.

When these characteristics are critical, investing in APTICOTE 460 coatings can add considerable value to your product and, in many cases, enable you to reduce costs.

The polymer infuses into the nicke
The polymer infuses into the nickel
Primary Features
  • High hardness - up to 1,000Hv
  • Excellent release and non-stick properties
  • Graded, high integrity nickel/polymer interface
  • Superior adhesive wear resistance
  • Low dynamic friction - 0.10 to 0.15
  • Low static friction - 0.06 under high loads
  • USDA and FDA compliant
  • Easy wash-down
The APTICOTE 460 Range
APTICOTE 460A For maximum chemical resistance, mould release and wear resistance.
APTICOTE 46OH For best wear resistance. The hardness of the coating can be varied to meet specific requirements.
APTICOTE 46OC For optimum wear resistance combined with maximum corrosion resistance.
APTICOTE 46OG For high hardness (1,000 Hv) combined with lubricity (low friction).
APTICOTE 460M For permanent mould release with most rubbers.

 

Benefits to the User

The primary attractions of APTICOTE 460 to designers and end-users are its great flexibility and cost effectiveness. Coatings can be adapted to many different applications by the careful formulation of specific processing parameters.

  • If high hardness is what you need, then APTICOTE 46OG combines this (1,000 Hv) with permanent lubricity.

  • Are you working with rubbers or rubberised polymers, and require permanent mould release properties? Then specify APTICOTE 460M.

  • If you require maximum chemical resistance, with wear resistance and excellent mould release, then the answer is APTICOTE 460A.

  • Seeking optimum wear resistance with maximum corrosion resistance? Then APTICOTE 46OC smoothly solves the problem.

APTICOTE 460 can also substantially cut costs by opening up profitable new materials options.

For example, a part manufactured from low carbon steel protected by the appropriate APTICOTE 460 corrosion resisting coating can often replace a more expensive alloy metal component, with no loss of performance. The poor mechanical performance of stainless steel running against itself is greatly reduced by using APTICOTE 460. Moreover, the ability to use lower cost material to meet high performance needs is not the only payback from an investment in APTICOTE 460 coatings. Overall machining costs are considerably reduced when a part can be made from more workable and more readily available metals.

Properties and Performance

More information is available on request, but some of the main advantages of APTICOTE 460 are:

  • Permanent Lubricity

    The surface of APTICOTE 460 is smooth and slippery. In many cases, static friction is decreased (as low as 0.06) as the load is increased, thus approaching total elimination of "stick-slip" and undesirable vibration.

  • High Adhesive Wear Resistance

    APTICOTE 460 coatings achieve four times the adhesive wear resistance of electroless nickel in pin-on-disc sliding tests, with hardness values in the range 750-1000 Hv. Since the outer surface is a polymer, APTICOTE 460 coatings are not suitable for harsh abrasion situations.

    • salt spray performance

  • Corrosion Resistance

    Depending on the formulation, APTICOTE 460 frequently exceeds 1500 hours in salt mist tests, and demonstrates greatly improved corrosion resistance over ordinary Electroless nickel coating. APTICOTE 460 also exhibits significant resistance to many commonly used chemicals.

  • Thickness Range

    Coatings are applied in thicknesses from 0.0005" to 0.002' (12 to 50 microns) and to a high degree of accuracy. No post-plating finishing is necessary.

  • Design Parameters

    APTICOTE 460 can be applied to a wide range of base materials, including aluminium, steels (including stainless steels), copper alloys and titanium. Finished tolerances and surface finish are normally related to the conditions of components before processing. Some post heat-treatment is often required and may involve temperatures up to 400°C, depending on material and parameters.

    APTICOTE 460 coatings will operate from -115°C to 260°C depending upon the formulation.

  • Coverage

    APTICOTE 460 is a highly innovative process and will readily coat components, of complex shapes, all over. However, the coating can also be applied selectively.

Technical Data Sheet

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