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Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

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Gold electroless solution for making gold mirrors

I am a sign maker and I have been told that electroless plating solutions can be used to create gold mirrored glass. Does anyone know if a gold or 'gold looking' proprietary solution is available for deposition onto glass or plexiglass.

Thanks for your help.

Ash B [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
sign Company - slough, Bucks, England
2004

A. Hi, Ash. I doubt it. Those processes work via "built in" electricity. The gold in solution forms a battery with the exposed metal, which provides the electricity for the metal reduction process. I believe that for glass or plexiglass you would need to use a vacuum deposition process similar to what is done on shiny mylar balloons.

Regards,

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

A. Making gold mirrors with electroless autocatalytic solutions to deposit gold into glass have been with us since Victorian times, it's an art that has almost died out. It's called Angel Gilding to distinguish the chemical process (Angel Gilding) from gold leaf gilding (not chemical but physical)
There is only one company I know of that is still selling such product.

The process goes like this. To a previously activated sheet of glass (Stannous chloride) a solution gold chloride that has been complexed is reduced by a reducing agent (Slow acting) is poured and in abut 5 minutes the gold is deposited, this gold is further protected by autocatalytic Silver (bright yellow gold) or autocatalytic copper to give a rose gold appearance (Bright Rose gold) and then backing paint. It's a beautiful art I have been blessed to experience.

Marvin Sevilla
- Managua, Nicaragua.
January 13, 2016

January 2016

Thanks so much, Marvin!

Regards,

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

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