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

finishing.com -- The Home Page of the Finishing Industry

The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing since 1989
-----

Proper Gold plating thickness for copper contact pins

We are wanting to direct gold plate tellurium copper contact pins of an RCA (phono) plug.

We appreciate advice on the appropriate thickness of the gold plate.

Previous advice indicates 10 or 20 micro-inches.

As you can imagine there is a large price differential between the two thicknesses.

The gold plating is to ensure a smooth finish and oxidation protection.

Robert Woodland
- Brisbane, Queensland,Australia
2000

2000

Plating gold directly onto copper is generally not recommended because the gold will diffuse into the copper (over time, and faster at higher temperatures). Further, the gold will not provide a smoother finish.

There really should be a barrier of nickel plating between the copper and the gold. More info on the subject is available in a nice paper by Paul Stransky,"Some Notes on Nickel Diffusion Barriers", available on our on-line library pages.

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

(No "dead threads" here! If this page isn't currently on the Hotline your Q, A, or Comment will restore it)

Q, A, or Comment on THIS thread -or- Start a NEW Thread

Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories: