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Cadmium plating tungsten
October 18, 2011
Hello, my question pertains to cadmium plating different types of tungsten. I have some tungsten parts I need to machine and they require a cadmium plating after completion.
The tungsten I am required to use has to meet a MIL-T-21014 Class three specification but from what I am told there are different types of Class 3 tungsten.
Specifically, 95% tungsten, 3.5% Nickel, 1.5% copper or, 95% tungsten, 3.5% Nickel, 1.5% Iron.
Will the cadmium plating work on the copper alloyed tungsten or would it be better to use the iron alloyed tungsten? From my limited dealings with cadmium plating it was always done on ferrous based materials? This would lead me to believe that the copper alloyed tungsten could not be cadmium plated but I am not sure. Thanks for any light you can shed on this.
Fabrication specialist - Elmwood, Nebraska, USA
October 18, 2011
Hi, Curtis. I think it will prove irrelevant whether the 1.5% is copper or iron. Tungsten is a refractory metal which is very difficult to plate onto. But the ASM Metals Handbook Vol. 5 has a chapter on how to pretreat refractory metals for electroplating and may provide some guidance. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
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