No passwords, no registration, no paywalls, no popups, no AI

As an Amazon Associate & eBay Partner we earn from affil links

finishing.com -- The Home Page of the Finishing Industry

Search our quarter-million Q&As

Home of the finishing HOTLINE since 1989

-----

Silver plated directly over steel

I am looking for a process to silver plate low carbon steel wire without any substrate. Another metal over the steel will interfere with the use of this product. Is there a way to activate the steel to plate silver directly over it?

David Murphy
- Charlotte, North Carolina
2003

First get all the chlorides out of your water. Then run the wire thru 5 %/vol 66 Be Electronic Grade Sulfuric Acid, then make the wire cathodic in a solution of 6 oz/gal Potassium Cyanide in deI or distilled water, then without rinsing go straight into a weak silver strike, continue without rinsing into the heavy silver build-up. Be aware that most commercial silver brighteners are antimony or selenium and this interferes with RF, then if RF (Radio Frequency) is a consideration use a silver brightener that is carbon disulfide.

Robert H Probert
Robert H Probert Technical Services

Garner, North Carolina

2003

Sorry! Finishing.com is temporarily Read-Only.
Ted Mooney is retiring but I have several offers to take it over.
We're working hard to make sure we find it the best new home.

Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories: