Letter 9082

Peeling silverplating in Electrical bus 

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We have received some electrical bus components for magnets in which the silverplating is peeling. The silverplating is on top of a nichelplating and they are both applied by brushplating using electricity. Both the silver layer and the nichel layer are peeling leaving the copper exposed. The current flowing through the copper bus ranges from 300 A to 700 A.

Question1: what happens if the peeling layer is buried in a bolted connection that will not be undone? Will the copper get oxidized?

Question2: is it enough to scrape the peeeling layer (without removing it completely) and just apply an antioxidation compound like Penetrox?

Thanks,

Domenico Dell'Orco
SLAC - Menlo Park, CA, USA

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Brush plating quality is extremely operator sensitive. Done properly, it would not peel. The only long term answer is to have it replated. Option 2 is to live with it.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida

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James Watts is correct if the process was done properly adhesion is not an issue. I believe your best bet is to have the bus components replated, the silver was put on for a purpose and by removing it from the surface or by trying to sandwich it in will defeat the purpose.

David Crocker
Brooktronics Eng. Corp. - Valencia, CA, USA

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