Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Copper plating and corrosion protection for electrical outdoor applications

I am looking for some information on copper plating of aluminum alloys and corrosion protection for electrical outdoor applications.

Andy White
Andrew Corporation - Amesbury, Massachusetts
2005

Hello Andy. Your first topic is broad, your second is virtually all encompassing :-)

Aluminum can certainly be copper plated, and in fact a lot of wire and bus bar is. Are you looking for where to buy stock product, what shops can do your customer wire or bus for you, who to contact to design an install a system in house, the basic inner workings of the process, or what?

For your second question are you asking how to protect copper plated aluminum in outdoor applications but within an enclosure, or is it something else you wish to protect from corrosion? If so, what, because obviously the general subject of corrosion fills whole aisles in technical libraries. Thanks.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2005

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2005

Looking for a specific copper plate/corrosion protection to replace silver plating, need excellent conductivity. The finished units need to survive in the field but are not typically directly exposed to the wind/rain/dust unless painted. High humidity, -40 to +85C and must not lose conductivity over time.
Thanks.

Andy White
- Amesbury, Massachusetts

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Coincidentally, I just finished reading an article claiming that copper is no substitute for silver because the silver is both soft enough and has minimal corrosion products to form good, tight, long term joints, whereas copper to copper joints will, over the years, grow in resistance by maybe 50 percent no matter how well you prepare them because of the small gaps. And now I can't find the darned article!

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2005