MetSol Nickel Tablet Technology

MetSol has developed a nickel addition method for the global galvanising industry.

The system efficiently adds a controlled dose of nickel to the galvanising kettle using easy to apply tablets. Galvanising baths run nickel additions to suppress the coating growth when dipping high silicon kilned steels thereby stopping excess zinc being applied to products.

Studies have shown that the MetSol addition efficiency is over 99% compared to traditional toning alloys of between 40-80%.

Tablets are manufactured to suit typical zinc usage per dipped ton. During the work schedule the nickel tablets are added into the galvanising bath, one per dipped ton of steel for the period.

Benefits of using MetSol's Nickel Tablets:

• Considerable savings in zinc usage through adding nickel at proprietary concentrations to the zinc bath.
• Historically significant problems in adding the nickel: 2% nickel-zinc alloy method is typically between 40% and 80% efficient.
• Adding nickel to the galvanizing bath using the MetSol nickel tablet technology gives 100% efficient dissolution of the nickel into the melt.
• Typical results are a 15% saving in zinc usage per dipped tonne from effective nickel dosing.

The MetSol Nickel Tablet Technology

• MetSol tablet uses nickel powder in a solid flux matrix with a proprietary composition.
• On addition to the zinc bath the flux mixture melts and assists the effective transfer of the nickel powder.
• The nickel evenly distributes through the depth of the bath.
• Since the dissolution is direct, Ni metal to Ni/Zn solution, there are no intermetallic alloys formed. Addition of alloy however requires the dissolution of NiZn intermetallics with unknown dissolution kinetics
• The nickel particle size is chosen to ensure complete dissolution before the particles reach the bottom of the bath.
• The combustion of a proprietary organic component in the tablet ensures a reducing atmosphere in the addition zone.
• The tablets are simply made by mixing the ingredients in molten media and the freezing to form tablets
• Tablets can be any shape or size. Size is governed by application. The tablets are simply made by mixing the ingredients in a molten media and then cooling to form tablets.

Industry Users

The benefits of MetSol nickel tablet addition are well recognized but because of the difficulty of addition and control only a small sector (less than 20%) of the galvanizing market uses nickel.

• The MetSol nickel tablet allows existing nickel users to benefit from both improved zinc efficiency and reduced Ni cost.
• The MetSol nickel tablet allows new nickel users users to benefit on the basis of zinc savings.