Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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I want to make copper plating solution

January 5, 2008

Respected sir,
I want to make solution of copper plating.Ii have already zinc coating plant which I am doing work , now I want copper plating on iron bar, plese define for me the process of copper plating, also how can I make solution of copper plating.
will thankfull to you.

Kashif Qamar
small industry owner - Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan

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Hi, Kashif. Try to get access to a couple of electroplating books such as the Metal Finishing Guidebook and the Electroplating Engineering Handbook [on AbeBooks or eBay or Amazon] . These will have some information on formulations. Note that you cannot plate directly onto steel or iron from a copper sulphate [on eBay or Amazon](or copper fluoborate) bath. You will need to either nickel plate first, or to use a cyanide-based or pyrophosphate-based copper plating bath. I'm not sure you will be able to find enough formulation information about copper pyrophosphate in the plating textbooks because most successful formulations are proprietary rather than generic. This would limit you to cyanide-based processes, so you should thoroughly investigate the hazards and downsides of cyanide before proceeding. Good luck.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
January 7, 2008