Letter 36067

Effect of "hot" electrical entry into plating tank [Michigan] 

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I'm a jeweler in a trade shop. The other jeweler and I debated on whether dipping the object in the solution before you increase the voltage to the desired level or dipping the object in the solution while the voltage is already at the desired level. Is the plating results the same?

Jerry Brossia
Brennans Jewelry Inc. - Westland, MI, U.S.A

It depends on the plating solution and what kind of surface you're plating onto, but in general it would be best to enter the plating solution "hot".

The reason for this is that if you put an object made of less noble metal into a solution of a more noble metal (which is probably the usual case for jewelers) the more noble metal will "immersion plate" onto the object without electricity applied. You may have seen this in science demonstrations where iron nails acquire a copper coating if placed into copper sulphate. Such "immersion plating" is usually poorly adherent.

 
Ted Mooney, P.E.
finishing.com Inc. - Brick, NJ

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