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Plating activators

We produce metal packages for the electronics industry. Part of our process involves soldering electro-plated feedthroughs (nickel on gold) into nickel plated aluminium. We are experiencing wetting problems with the gold, despite extra cleaning . We have tried some aggressive solder fluxes to no avail. We have heard about activators to treat gold with, but require more information.

Myra Heno
- Honiton, Devon, UK

Are you soldering to the gold, or is the gold dissolving into the solder, and you solder to the nickel? How think is the nickel and gold, over what base metal? Do you test the nickel-gold with some wettability test?

Tom Pullizzi
Falls Township, Pennsylvania

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