Letter 42071

Silver plating on copper [Colorado] 

August 29, 2006

I am an engineering student from the US and I am researching methods for plating silver upon copper...All the processes I found so far require the use of potassium cyanide or other cyanide compounds, and we don't want to use it because of its toxicity. We urgently need to find a plating process because our research requires various levels of thickness of silver plated on copper. Thank you very much!

Yu-ping
Engineering Research Center - Fort Collins, CO, USA

Ed. note: Our supporting advertiser EPI offers cyanide-free plating processes.

When you talk to them, get a complete process for plating silver on copper. I think that you will need a silver strike and probably a nickel stike. I am not aware of any non cyanide silver strikes. They may have work around methods.

James Watts
- FL

Their web site says that their 50-50 solution will plate directly to copper. Ask them if the copper does not migrate thru the silver over time.

James Watts
- FL

Monovalent silver metal which is complexed by a thiosulphate ion is developed as a cyanide free silver plating process. Such electrolyte is operating at acidic pH with a stabilizer of an organic sulfinate compound. Suitable compounds include those having the formula R-SO2-X wherein R is an alkyl or aryl moiety and X is a monovalent cation. The stabilizer is present in an amount sufficient to stabilize the thiosulphate ion when the solution is operated at an acidic pH.

David Shiu
- Singapore

I want to answer or follow-up on this subject publicly (in non-commercial fashion).

 

My company is a supporting advertiser at finishing.com and we want the contact information to reach the inquirer privately.

 

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