PURPOSE: To provide the powder material capable of being used in an electroless nickel plating bath obtained by adding sodium hypophosphite, anhydrous sodium acetate and sodium bicarbonate to a nickel sulphate powder coated with a surface active agent so as not to be reacted with other powder.

CONSTITUTION: Nickel sulphate is used as much as possible in a hexahydrate form and ground to about 100 mesh or less. In a mixed solution prepared by adding a small amount of A benzine to anhydrous ethanol, an anionic surface active agent and a nonionic surface active agent are added so as to adjust a concn. thereof to 10W100ppm and lead nitrate is added as a reaction stabilizer in a concn. of about 2W4ppm. The obtained surface active agent solution is dropped to the nickel sulphate powder and stirred, mixed and dried. To the obtained nickel sulphate powder, sodium hypophosphite, anhydrous sodium acetate and sodium bicarbonate are added and the resulting mixture is dissolved in warm water and the obtained solution is used as a plating solution.