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Plating a multi-phase nano crystal matrix on copper

1999

Q. Dear Ted Mooney, James Watts, Jim Conner, John C. Tenison and many others whom I don't know,

First of all, I would like to thank to all whom work for this web site, I have been visiting this site since two years on every single day for having an idea about the updated questions. Now I have been asked to find out a kind of plating on Copper, which is very thin black and plated on copper layer (0.5, 0.3 mm, ... thick), named "multi-phase nano crystal matrix" on a catalog. There is only one information about the behavior of the plating that I know is;

absorption= 97%
intensity= 0.8%

If you could be kind enough to let me know as much information as you know by your honoured experience about this plating type I would be very grateful!. Thank you very much for your kindness

yours sincerely mustafa demirci BSC. chem (student in cardif/uk)

Mustafa Demirci
plating co. - Istanbul/Turkey

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Dear Mustafa,

Nanocrystals are the biggest thing to be "new" in surface finishing since Electroless Nickel. Nanoprocessing is a form of grain boundary engineering. Improvements in a coatings properties are achieved by increasing the area or volume of the grain boundaries. By example, in a fist sized lump of nickel the bulk properties of the nickel are determined by the volume of the nickel and not by the surface area. But, if we powder the nickel fine enough the nickel will float on air. As the particles become smaller and smaller the "control" of the bulk properties is now shifted to the surface area. Finishers have been nanoprocessing for years but didn't call it by that term. We used terms like: "EN", blackening, phosphating, and black nickel plating.

Advanced materials applications need the mechanical, magnetic, electrical and corrosion properties exhibited by nanocrystalline metals produced by the finishing industries. Todays finishing has been shown to have the cost affective and technologically viable production methods to produce such materials, in everything from thin films to bulk form.

I'm guessing at this point, but I think that Black Nickel is the finish you are looking for but I don't have all the information necessary to be sure. For more help check out the abstracts by the Nanometals Research Group on the web at http://cheemat.chee.queensu.ca/mat/nanometals/nano_abs.html

Regards,

Fred Mueller, CEF
- Royersford, Pennsylvania
1999

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Dear Mustafa:

I think what you are looking for is an optical blackening process for copper. Enthone, Inc. makes an immersion process called "Ebonal C" which creates a thin black coating on copper alloy. I would suggest contacting them with your problem.

Kent Backus
Fort Worth, Texas, USA
1999

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Hi, Mustafa. Thanks for the kind words. I try to not respond to a subject when people who know more about it than I do are willing to :-)

That seems to be the case here. Thanks Fred; thanks Kent.

Regards,

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