Abstract: There is provided a roughened nickel-plated sheet having a roughened nickel layer as an outermost surface layer on at least one surface of a metal base material, wherein the brightness L* of the surface of the roughened nickel layer is 30 to 50, the glossiness of 85° of the surface of the roughened nickel layer is 1.5 to 50.

Abstract: Environmentally friendly nickel electroplating compositions enable the electroplating of nickel deposits which are bright and uniform and inhibit corrosion of gold layers deposited on the bright and uniform nickel deposits. The environmentally friendly nickel electroplating compositions can be used to electroplate bright and uniform nickel deposits on various substrates over a wide current density range.

Abstract: A process of making a polymeric phenazonium compound having the general formula: wherein R1, R2, R4, R5, R6, R8 and R9 are the same or different, and represent hydrogen, a low alkyl or a substituted aryl, R3 starts as NH2 and is diazotized followed by polymerization, R5 and R8 may alternatively represent monomeric or polymeric phenazonium radicals, R7 is a carbon in the aromatic ring, and wherein RX—N—RY represents a substituted amine, and RX and RY represent any combination of CH3, C2H5, and hydrogen, except that RX and RY cannot both be hydrogen, A is an acid radical, and n is an integer from 2 to 100. The polymeric phenazonium compound is usable in as an additive in a metal plating bath.

Abstract: A process of making a polymeric phenazonium compound having the general formula: wherein R1, R2, R4, R5, R6, R8 and R9 are the same or different, and represent hydrogen, a low alkyl or a substituted aryl, R3 starts with NH2 and is diazotized followed by polymerization, R5 and R8 may alternatively represent monomeric or polymeric phenazonium radicals, R7 with its substituent group is a substituted amine, with RX and RY representing any combination of CH3, C2H5, and hydrogen, except that RX and RY cannot both be hydrogen, A is an acid radical, and n is an integer from 2 to 100, preferably from 2 to 20 is described. The polymeric phenazonium compound is usable in as an additive in a metal plating bath.

Abstract: Inorganic or organic fine particles which are insoluble to water are added to a metal plating bath, by dispersing the fine particles in a watery medium by the help of an azo-surfactant having an aromatic azo compound residue. Electrolysis is then carried out. According to the present invention, the content of the fine particles present in a composite plating film composed of the fine particles and a metal can be increased.

Abstract: For use in a fuel cell, constituted by plural cells, a separator that can reduce fluctuations in electromotive force across respective cells. A method for producing a separator in which a recessed gas path is formed. Depth fluctuations of the gas path can be reduced. It is formed easily even if the separator is formed of a hard material. The gas path having plural depths or gradation can be formed easily. An electrically conductive member 3, as a separator, and a processing electrode 16, having patterned electrode projections 20, are immersed in an electrolytic solution facing each other. Current is fed between member 3 and electrode 16 for electrolytic processing to dissolve the portion of the member 3 facing projections 20, thus forming a gas path 30 having a surface roughness Rz on this bottom surface 30e not larger than 1 &mgr;m.

Abstract: A method for the production of metal foam with high specific surface area is disclosed. A foam material which may be either conductive or nonconductive is provided. If the material is nonconductive, an electrically conductive covering layer is formed. The electrically conductive foam material is then electrolytically coated with nickel from a nickel plating bath. The bath includes at least one unsaturated organic second class brightener in an amount effective to promote preferential growth of nickel onto the foam material such that the value of the growth ratio R, defined by the total of the growth of metal onto the foam material in the direction of the preferential growth divided by the total of the growth of metal in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the preferential growth, is greater than one. The nickel plating may be carried out using pulse current. The bath liquid may be flowed through the openings of the foam substrate in one or more directions during the deposition.

Abstract: Nickelized shaped articles are produced by electrodeposition of nickel from aqueous acidic baths containing as essential constituents one or more nickel salts, one or more inorganic acids and at least two brighteners by using as brighteners a mixture ofA) from 2 to 98% by weight of one or more cyclic N-allylammonium or N-vinylammonium compounds I ##STR1## where the nitrogen atom is part of a pyridine, quinoline or isoquinoline ring system which may additionally carry one or two C.sub.1 - to C.sub.4 -alkyl substituents or halogen atoms,R.sup.1, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are each hydrogen or C.sub.1 - to C.sub.4 -alkyl,R.sup.2 is hydrogen or methyl,m is from 0 to 4,n is from 1 to 4, andX.sup..crclbar. is an n-valent inorganic or organic anion which promotes solubility in water, andB) from 98 to 2% by weight of one or more acetylenically unsaturated compounds IIR.sup.4 --C.tbd.C--R.sup.5 (II)where R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are identical or different and each is C.sub.1 - to C.sub.