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Plating Silver on Hafnium

We have a customer asking us to plate a 95.5% hafnium/.5%zirconium pin with silver.

We have tried several methods, including copper strike and palladium seed/electroless nickel, to put an undercoat prior to silver plate. In all cases, adhesion has been extremely poor.

Does anyone have any experience with this material, or have a guess as to a method to achieve good adhesion? Thanks in advance.

Chris Ford
N. Andover, Massachusetts
2000

Hi All:

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There are patents covering methods for plating onto these alloys, a reference is "Modern Electroplating", by Lowenheim [on AbeBooks, eBay, or Amazon affil links] , John Wiley & Sons, 1974, p.618-635.

The method I read is too complicated to answer here, involving heat treating, fluorides, ultrasonics, etc. A problem seems to me the difference in the thermal coefficient of expansion of the two alloys and the plating.

  
Tom Pullizzi
Falls Township, Pennsylvania
2000

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Best regards,

COLIN HUMPHRIES
- POTTERS BAR, HERTS, ENGLAND
2002

ATTN: CHRIS FORD We notice on this website that in 2000 you were looking for a solution to silver plate hafnium. We have the same problem and are trying to either silver or nickel plate hafnium prior to brazing. Did you find a solution? If so, can you share it with us? Await your reply.