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Electrodepositable materials

2003

I am a student at Cambridge University currently involved in a project regarding electroforming and electroplating in an industrial capacity.

I have been able to gather large amounts of information about the use of nickel and copper as electrodeposits, but no success in finding information about other materials that meet high strength and stiffness but low density criteria. Which metals or alloys might be able to satisfy these criteria yet still be electrodepositable?

I would be very grateful for any information on this matter or advice on where I might be able to look.

Thank you very much for your help in this matter.

Pippa Batchelor
- Cambridge, UK

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First of three simultaneous responses --

Cobalt, or better, nickel-cobalt alloy. Gold can be electroformed but it is not light. Iron can be plated, but it is brittle enough that I have not heard of it being used for electroforming.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2003

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Second of three simultaneous responses --

What you describe would be aluminum, but that is extremely difficult to plate and relatively very expensive. So, what metal would you like to use? Then we can go from there.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2003

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Third of three simultaneous responses --

Electroforming is a very specialised field and there are only a few metals that are regularly electroformed. As you have found out, the most common ones are copper and nickel, but others, such as silver, gold, platinum are also done. It is claimed that iron can be electroformed, but this is not very easy. You ask for a low density/high strength and stiffness metal, but do not say what your options are. First of all identify what metal you want to electroform; this may involve mechanical, physical and chemical properties. Remember, to electroform a metal, it must be electrodepositable. Once you have identified the material, then find a suitable electroforming system. This will demand a low stress deposit. Take a tip and ignore aluminium, titanium and any other similar metals as they cannot be electrodeposited from aqueous systems.

Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
2003