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  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Trying to plate gold onto copper tungsten, but getting poor adhesion

I am having adhesion problems on copper tungsten parts that I have been experimenting with. Does anyone know a procedure for plating this metal?

Raden Taylor
plating shop employee - London, Ontario, Canada
2007

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Hello Raden, and welcome. Please tell us about the parts, the gold plating solution, and what you've tried. Without that info the page will soon be full of suggestions that can't be implemented on your type of parts or your volume, process suggestions that could spoil the parts for your intended use and -- worst of all -- "we already tried that and it didn't work" :-)

Are these discrete formed parts like contacts? Are they sintered? Is there a nickel layer before the gold? Is it jewelry rather than electronics? Thanks!

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2007

The parts are some kind of jewelry item. They are 1"x1/4"x1/4". I am trying to put a flash layer of sulphamate nickel before gold, and it is the nickel that won't stick. I have tryed various times and curents in a nickel activator consisting of acid salts and hydrochloric acid with nickel anodes. I have also tried pickling the parts in 50/50 hydrochloric acid and water for various times to activate the metal. For cleaning the parts I used cathodic current in a alkaline metal cleaner for a couple minutes.

Raden Taylor
- London, Ontario, Canada
2007