The Effect of Annealing on the Microstructure and Hardness of Some Nickel Electrodeposits

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Abstract
The effects of annealing on the microstructure and hardness of nickel electrodeposits from six different plating baths were studied. The structural changes of the bulk as observed by transmission electron microscopy occurred in the same annealing‐temperature range as the major decreases in hardness. The first change in the surface structure occurred 200°C higher. The annealing process appears to consist of the migration of grain boundaries, which in most cases seemed to carry impurities along with them. A mechanism for this process in electroplated metals is proposed.