Chemical nickel plating processes and baths therefor

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF CHEMICALLY PLATING WITH NICKEL A BODY COMPRISING AN ELEMENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF IRON, COBALT, NICKEL, ALUMINUM, COPPER, SILVER, GOLD, PALLADUIM AND PLATINUM, WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING SAID BODY WITH A BATH COMPRISING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF A NICKEL SALT AND A HYPOPHOSPHITE AND A FIRST CHELATING AGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MALIC ACID AND SALTS THEREOF AND A SECOND CHELATING AGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF LACTIC ACID AND SALTS THEREOF AND AN EXALTING ADDITIVE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SUCCINC ACID AND SALTS THEREOF, THE RATIO BETWEEN NICKEL IONS AND HYPOPHOSPHITE IONS IN SAID BATH BEING IN THE RANGE OF 0.25 TO 1.60, THE ABSOLUTE CONCENTRATION OF HYPOPHOSPHITE IONS IN SAID BATH BEING IN THE RANGE 0.15 TO 1.20 MOLE/LITER, THE ABSOLUTE CONCENTRATION OF MALICACID IONS IN SAID BATH BEING IN THE RANGE 0.004 TO 0.20 MOLE/LITER, THE ABSOLUTE CONCENTRATION OF LACTIC ACID IONS IN SAID BATH BEING IN THE RANGE OF 0.04 TO 0.20 MOLE/LITER, THE TOTAL QUANTITY OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND CHELATING AGENTS IN SAID BATH BEING SUFFICIENT TO CHELATE AT LEAST 100% OF THE NICKEL IONS THEREIN SO AS TO IMPART TO SAID BATH A PHOSPHITE TOLERANCE OF AT LEAST ABOUT 1 MOLE-LITER, AND THE ABSOLUTE CONCENTRATION OF SUCCINIC ACID IONS IN SAID BATH BEING AT LEAST 0.04 MOLE/LITER SO AS SUBSTANTIALLY TO EXALT THE PLATING RATE OF SAID BATH.