Where the
world gathers for metal finishing
Q&As since 1989


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PVD and Plating Differences

My hobby is to collect pens. I want to purchase one. They have two types. One coated with Titanium Nitrade and one Titanium Plated. I have read the difference between PVD and plating on your site, but I don't know the advantages of one over the other. Could you help me? Thanks, Marie

Marie Bequillard
Hobbyist - Baltimore, Maryland, USA
2004

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Firstly, I consider it almost impossible to electroplate either titanium or titanium nitride. However, you can vacuum deposit both titanium and titanium nitride, the difference being that titanium nitride is a hard gold colored material whilst titanium metal is a dull silver grey. It is a well known trick in the jewelry industry to coat a material with titanium nitride and then electroplate this with gold; the benefit is that the soft gold is protected and given a longer life by the much harder titanium nitride. To understand how this works, think of the titanium nitride as a rough surface with peaks and troughs; the gold is deposited all over this surface and will wear off the peaks until the hard titanium nitride is exposed. This will slow down the wear of the surface and leave the gold in the troughs less worn. Perhaps you could tell us, or better still, show us in a photograph, what the visual differences are between the titanium plated and "titanium nitride" pens. We may be able to give you better help if we can see the problem. As a collector of pens, do you intend to use the pen or to preserve it in a pristine condition?

Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
2004

I use the pens I collect. In this particular case I would like to purchase the one that better resists scratches, scuff marks, etc. Would that be the titanium plated one or the one coated with titanium nitride? Thanks.

Marie Bequillard
- Baltimore, Maryland, USA
2004

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Titanium nitride.

Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
2004