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Hard gold plating solution needed!

Currently,I converted my gold business to brass business. It is hard to hand over another electroplating factory in finishing job. This is because most goods are needed to add-up some processes at the intermediate plating period.

After discovering few ways in hard gold plating by myself, I found a formula as below.
Gold potassium cyanide + copper sulphate + nickel sulphate (or maybe zinc sulphate)=hard gold-last longer period *[I do not really know whether it was right.]

Now, few questions from me are:-
1.What types of copper sulphate and nickel sulphate should be used?
2.What is the ratio for each of the compound?

We are not specialist in these technical skills. However, we would like to solve the problems ourselves. We used to find out the solutions from people who are experienced, but they never provide us any scientific theory and analysis. Therefore, the result we obtained always uncertainly.

Please provide us some solutions in technical skill. Also, it will be great if you can recommend us some products or materials in hard gold plating.

Thank you!

Famous Fam
Director of finishing industry - Puchong,Selangor, Malaysia
January 14, 2009

There are precious metal suppliers and distributors that can give you a proprietary hard acid gold bath. As you know the gold salts are very expensive. Experimenting with varying amounts of alloying agents (for desired hardness, purity and color) can put you in a financial hole real quick. Potassium citrate, citric acid , nickel or cobalt brighteners, and acid adjusting salts (ph reduction) are a lot cheaper than gold. Seek out a reputable supplier that will meet your needs with good products and technical service. Good luck to you.

Mark Baker
Fellow Plater - Syracuse, N.Y., USA
January 21, 2009