The authoritative public forum
  for Metal Finishing since 1989
  

  -----

Coating ss with cu

I am doing m.tech from iit kharagpur, and I am doing my project on Al matrix composite reinforced with stainless steel fibers. I used the cheaply available ss scrubbers used for cleaning utensils and cut fibers from that. As a part of my project I want to coat these ss scrubbers with cu and study the interface. But I am unable to coat cu on ss. I tried electroless process and also electro deposition acid bath using copper sulphate ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] solution. But I can't get any coating. Can you suggest me any coating baths or any method that I can coat cu on ss.

S. Divakar
- Kharagpur, West Bengal, India
2002

---

Try a cyanide copper with a suitable pretreatment on the stainless steel. The pretreatment will depend on the type of stainless being used, but try to avoid easily machined stainless steels that contain lead as this can cause adhesion problems.

Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
2002

---

I try to coat SS 304 with Pb (lead) by using Aqua Regia. Unfortunately the result not good.
For your information the thickness of coating is 5mm. The thickness of SS is 12 mm.

Polmasi Simarmata
- Jakarta, Indonesia
2002

---

I've never heard of such a process, Polmasi. Could you please give us a reference? Electroplating is a reduction process and, in general, people don't electroplate out of oxidizing solutions like nitric acid.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2002