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Blistering During Copper Electroplating of Steel

May 23, 2011

Hello,
I am currently working on a project where we are plating some short lengths of bare steel (think the material from a measuring tape, only stripped of paint) with copper for use as RF antenna. We have been moving smoothly through the plating process until now. Our first few batches have came out with blistering and the copper coating is peeling away after just a light rub from a towel. From the pieces we have retrieved thus far, we are getting a black corrosion material that has formed between the steel and the copper. We just cannot get the copper to want to adhere to the steel directly. I was wondering if this would be an issue of the copper just not being able to stick to the steel or maybe just an issue of not cleaning the pieces as thoroughly as needed before plating? I read in some other places that a coat of Zinc (like a zinc autobody undercoat) over the steel would help adherence?

Any help is appreciated.

Justin Hamilton
Graduate Assistant - Morehead, Kentucky, USA

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Hi, Justin.

You haven't given us any process information yet for anyone to try to help troubleshoot, but you cannot plate acid copper (copper sulphate ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] or copper fluoborate) onto steel. Alternatives include cyanide copper (probably not appropriate for the University considering the toxicity), a proprietary copper pyrophosphate from companies like EPI / Electrochemical Products Inc. [a finishing.com supporting advertiser] or Zinex, or preplating (striking) with nickel. I don't think that zinc plating has any applicability here. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
May 22, 2011