Letter 4050

Electroplating ping pong balls - science project

06 Dec 1999

I am a teacher at our Jr. High and my son in high school wants to continue a science fair project from last year. He made a flood warning device to set off a emergency flasher at flooded low water crossings. He covered a ping-pong ball with foil and had a 2nd one beneath it in a PVC pipe with holes so when the pipe filled with water, the balls floated and made contact with the inside of a flashlight to set the flasher off. Now he would like to electroplate the ball to see if it weathers better. He has asked for help in several places, but we haven't gotten responses. Can anyone give helpful hints that maybe the high school chemistry teacher could help him to do or is there a company in the Houston area that might electroplate a pingpong ball for him. Or does anyone know of a place where you could get a hollow metal ball about the size of a ping pong ball light enough to float made - like within a couple of weeks? We are on a pretty short time span as he wanted to let it weather for 6 to 8 weeks and his fair is in February. We would love some advice. Thanks

Linda Heathcott

I would metallize them with conductive paint made for the purpose by such firms as Jema-American [Dunnellen, NJ] or Acheson Colloids [Port Huron, MI]. Then you could try copper plating them out of a copper sulfate plating solution. A result not quite as pretty, but more environmentally conscious, could probably be obtained by plating copper (from a piece of wire) out of a solution of vinegar, epsom salt, and sugar.

 
Ted Mooney, P.E. - finishing.com - Brick, NJ

Linda,

My reply is rather late. Sorry!

One idea is to spray paint the table tennis ball. Ideally, clean the ball first of all with some light solvent and then carefully sand it a bit ... why? ... because the roughened surface will allow the paint to stick better.

As to the type of paint, ah, I guess a true solvent type would be best. T.T. balls are still, I'm sure, made of that lovely but dangerous plastic called Cellulose Nitrate. Try burning one!

If you used a lacquer type paint, it should stick pretty well.Even if you didn't, the paint would stick to itself. I assume your tests are for u.v. stability?

Anyhow, that's an idea you could perhaps try out.

Cheers !

Freeman Newton
- White Rock, B.C. Canada

Check out Naugatuck Mfg. http://www.naugatuckmfg.com/gallery/default.html?cid=3 They make metal, spherical floats. Should be able to get exactly what you want.

Ed Manuel
- Houston, TX, USA

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