FAQ

Q: Electroplated Tin vs. Nickel

A: Question: One of our vendors is planning to start plating the copper bus bars in their assemblies, to which we connect our busbars, with nickel. We are unfamiliar with the properties of nickel, and are considering whether we should change from Tin plating to Nickel plating for any reason. Can you advise me on any concerns about long term effects between nickel and tin plated materials clamped together, and any significant differences in cost between the 2 methods?

Tin vs. Nickel
Tin is Not Solderable, so any items that may need to be soldered to the buss bar wouldn’t stick to electroplated nickel. Forming, nickel is not as ductile as tin would be and therefore may crack under stress if bent. Tin is better than nickel as far as conductivity is concerned. Nickel can and will grow a thick oxide that may prevent conductivity over time as the oxide is more difficult to break through than tin.
Costs
Nickel may cost more than tin to plate due to the efficiency of the bath and the value of nickel as a commodity is more than tin and increasing.
Lead Free Tin
Tin is now available as a lead free finish as well so it is becoming a better alternative o move to lead free tin and stick with it. Nickel is fast becoming more and more of an environmental hazard as the EU and China are starting to view it’s properties as not ideal for many applications. Some people are allergic to nickel and this is gaining some potential that it will be more regulated in the next few years.