Plating An Aluminum Surface With A Black Metallic Finish

I do nickel electroplating from a nickel sulfamate plating bath with students. Recently, I was asked to electroplate aluminum with a BLACK metallic surface. Can someone make a suggestion of a chemical which will accomplish this task?

Razi (Bobby Blockum) Hassan
Alabama A&M University - Huntsville, Alabama
2002

You're sure you need to electroplate it? Because the easy way would be to anodize the aluminum and dye it black. And another possibility would be black electroless nickel. But if you must electroplate, then zinc-iron with black chromate conversion coating, or black nickel are a couple of possibilities. You cannot directly electroplate onto aluminum, but must zincate it first.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Ted is available for instant help
or longer-term assistance.

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