Summary for black coating on copper Discussion
multi-phase nano crystal matrix on copper is discussed as a likely marketing name for a thin black copper finish rather than a clearly defined standard coating. Mustafa Demirci asked what the catalog term meant and reported only that the coating was black, very thin, and had high absorption. Fred Mueller explained that nanocrystalline coatings are a major development in surface finishing, describing nanoprocessing as grain-boundary engineering and noting that finishers have long used related processes such as electroless nickel, blackening, phosphating, and black nickel plating. He guessed the finish might be black nickel, but said he could not be sure. Kent Backus offered a more specific lead, saying the user may be looking for an optical blackening process for copper and naming Enthone’s immersion product Ebonal C as a thin black coating for copper alloys. The thread ends without a definitive identification, but points toward black nickel or optical blackening 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
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 https://cheemat.chee.queensu.ca/mat/nanometals/nano_abs.html
Regards,
Fred Mueller, CEF
– Royersford, Pennsylvania
1999
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
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
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