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Gold Plating Alternative on Metal

Hello. I am very confused about the gold-plating costs right now in the finishing stages of metal parts. I want to know of alternatives to this gold-plating technique which uses gold. I wish to know an alternative which can give me gold-plating like color to the metal parts. Gold costs are very high.

Akshat Agarwal
Student - Manipal, India
January 20, 2011

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Try titanium nitride which almost looks like gold and is wear resistant.

H.R. Prabhakara - Consultant
Bangalore Plasmatek - Bangalore Karnataka India
First of three simultaneous responses -- January 20, 2011

Several faucet companies use physical vapor deposition of I think titanium nitride over chrome that looks very much like bright gold.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
Second of three simultaneous responses -- January 20, 2011

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Third of three simultaneous responses -- January 21, 2011

There are coatings like Titanium Nitride and other cermets that are highly durable and gold colored. You might want to investigate these.

Lyle Kirman

Lyle Kirman
consultant - Cleveland Heights, Ohio

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To your first question, electroplating is the simplest and cheapest technology for depositing gold.

What you should consider is why the parts are gold plated.
If, for instance, they are electrical connectors, coating them with titanium nitride will not be popular with your customers.

If the gold is decorative, titanium nitride may be an acceptable colour but you should also consider that people buy cheap jewelery for its looks but expensive jewelery is bought because it is gold. Being expensive may make it more desirable.

Geoff Smith
Hampshire, England
January 24, 2011

Can Titanium Nitride be electroplated in a plating line or is only applied through PVD coatings

Joe Rhoades
Plating Technician - Bradford Pennsylvania
August 25, 2011

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Hi, Joe.

No, Titanium is not electroplateable, let alone titanium nitride. Sorry.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
August 26, 2011