Electrodeposited nickel substrate was effectively micro-roughened with an acidic bath containing 5 wt% H2SO4 and 10 wt% (NH4)(2)S2O8 at room temperature. The uniformly roughened surface was then sequentially wash-coated with boehmite sol and alumina slurries. The microstructure and the surface performance of the wash-coat/substrate were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and ultrasonic vibration test. The nickel substrate that was etched for 3 min at room temperature yielded a foam-like roughened surface morphology with a high large surface area. A crack-free primer coating and a slurry coating with very little tiny crack can be prepared by using this convenient, energy-saving, and time-efficient pretreatment method. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.