Letter 3061

Plating on Magnesium 

-

I have had some inquiries for plating on magnesium. Can anyone suggest some good sources for processing and some of the "Watchouts" attached to the process. My in house library doesn"t have much. Any help is welcome. Chris

Chris Hammer
- WNY, NJ

Don't forget that chips and shavings are flammable if you are doing any mechanical work on the parts. Magnesium parts must either be zincated or nickel plated, and in either case the zincating or nickel plating must be preceded by rather detailed pickling sequences. Volume 5: Surface Engineering of the ASM Metals Handbook has a great chapter on Magnesium Finishing--at least my ninth edition does.

 
Ted Mooney
finishing.com - Brick, NJ

I have seen work done by a company in New Zealand [Auckland Aluminium Limited, Auckland] that is a form of anodising magnesium - very interesting..

Hamish Hawthorn
- Australia

I want to answer or follow-up on this subject publicly

 

I want to post a new question or inquiry of my own on a different subject

 

This letter is within a monitored forum, very much "alive" here in 2008. If you spot any broken links or obsolete info, please advise!