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Can jeweler silver plate ABS plastics?
Q. I am a silver jewelry manufacturer and I want to make silver jewelry out of ABS plastic. I want to silver plate the ABS plastic.
So: What kind of ABS can I use (should be a hard plastic and easy to use)? What is the plating procedure (should be productive, like plating in a barrel and the finished product should be harmless in conduct to the skin)? Any answer is more than welcome.
Many thanks,
Averof Parashos- Athens, Greece
2002
"Standards and Guidelines for Electroplated Plastics"
by American Society for Electroplated Plastics
on
AbeBooks
or
Amazon
(affil links)
A. ABS is the easiest of plastics to electroplate. However, you need to etch and activate it first. Etching is normally done with chromic acid solution at about 60 °C. The chromic acid is then rinsed off and neutralised and the ABS activated in a Pd/Sn solution. This is then thoroughly rinsed to form a gel of tin hydroxide. The part is then dipped in an accelerator to dissolve the tin gel and expose the active palladium. Then dip your part into electroless silver, copper or nickel to make it electrically conducting. Then electrodeposit some cheaper metal, such as copper or nickel (probably not nickel if you want to sell it in Europe!) give some substance to your coating. Finally electroplate with silver. Alternatively, after etching, you can silver spray the parts and then electroplate them.
Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
2002
A. If you are a jeweler and not a plater there is no way you can do plating on plastic yourself no matter how much interest or money you think it will give you. You absolutely require a professional, either a consultant to help you start a shop or a dedicated company to buy from. An internet search, no matter how good, is not the way. G. Marrufo
Guillermo MarrufoMonterrey, NL, Mexico
2002
Q. Trevor,
You mention that nickel would not be a good idea for Europe. Is that a regulatory problem?
- S. Londonderry, Vermont, USA
August 15, 2013
A. Hi Fergus. Yes. Europe has limits on leachable nickel which tends to make nickel plating on jewelry non-feasible.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
August 16, 2013
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