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Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Metal plated ABS buttons

The National Button Society has put out a book on the different synthetic polymers (plastics) used in the manufacture of buttons, and how to identify them. There are many ABS plastic buttons that have been plated with metals. What metals are used in this plating ? We have found a few that can be picked up with a magnet. Now we would like to know more about this process and metals used.

Thank you,

Helen Boop
- Panacea, Florida, USA
2003

Once the button is plated, it is possible to re-plate it with any plateable metal, of which there are at least 22. Certainly copper, brass, gold, nickel, silver, and chrome would be possibilities. I suspect that some of the "plated" buttons are not really electroplated but rather are vacuum metallized with aluminum and then top-coated.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2003

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