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

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Complete Process for Cleaning, Cu, and Ag Barrel Plating on Stainless Steel

Q. Cu and Ag Barrel Plating on Stainless Steel?
Hi, I'm looking to find the complete process of cleaning (degreasing) and pre-plating a stainless steel part (15 mm x 13 mm x 4 mm) and putting a first layer of 4 microns of copper on it and then as second plating 4 microns of silver by using a small barrel plating unit.
Perhaps there are processes that I could read and/or apply?
Any help is welcome.

SAMER OUGHLI
- LAGUNA, METRO MANILA, Philippines
March 3, 2024

A. Hi Samer,
A general cycle would be: soak clean, electroclean, HCl activate, Wood's nickel strike, acid copper plating, and silver plating -- with adequate rinsing between each step, and possibly an anti-tarnish post-treatment. Please introduce yourself and the situation as a starting point because there are whole plating libraries and the subject can't be covered in a few paragraphs starting from scratch. :-)

nb plating Library
(part of the plating library at New Brunswick Plating [a finishing.com supporting advertiser])

4 microns is not a lot of plating, and copper and silver will tend to diffuse together, so you may need to add a layer of nickel or palladium plating between the copper and silver. A silver strike before silver plating can help with adhesion while preventing contamination of an expensive silver plating bath.

Luck & Regards,

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

RFQ: Hello Friends, I'm looking for consultancy on my project: Silver on Copper by barrel plating --

61647-2a 61647-2d 61647-2b 61647-2c

My process so far on mild steel:

Soak clean
Electroclean
HCl activate
Nickel strike
4 microns Copper cyanide plating (3 to 5 micron is ok)
4 microns silver plating (3 to 5 microns is ok)
Possibly an anti-tarnish post-treatment
* All with adequate rinsing between each step

The process needs to pass the next test
A) Oven 270 °C for 5 min
- Check for plating blistering
- Perform peel-off test with tape
B) Temp test in 3 cycles
- 55 °C + 55 °C with a 1-hour pause in between.
- Check for plating blistering, discoloration & peel-off test with tape

Who can help?

samer oughli [returning]
shop - q.c. metro manila
June 11, 2024
privately respond to this RFQ
Ed. note: As always, gentle readers: technical replies in public and commercial replies in private please (huh? why?)

A. Hi Samer,

The first thing I would suggest is rotating those parts for an hour in a barrel in plain rinse water because I would not assume they can be barrel plated without damage without some testing and possible development efforts.

Luck & Regards,

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

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