topic 5870

Plating Silver on Hafnium

2000

Hi All:

We have a customer asking us to plate a 95.5% hafnium/.5%zirconium pin with silver.

We have tried several methods, including copper strike and palladium seed/electroless nickel, to put an undercoat prior to silver plate. In all cases, adhesion has been extremely poor.

Does anyone have any experience with this material, or have a guess as to a method to achieve good adhesion? Thanks in advance.

Chris Ford
N. Andover, Massachusetts

Hafnium in Nuclear Engineering
from Abe Books
or

2000

There are patents covering methods for plating onto these alloys, a reference is Modern Electroplating, Lowenheim, John Wiley & Sons, 1974, p.618-635.

The method I read is too complicated to answer here, involving heat treating, fluorides, ultrasonics, etc. A problem seems to me the difference in the thermal coefficient of expansion of the two alloys and the plating.

Tom Pullizzi
Falls Township, Pennsylvania

(2002)

ATTN: CHRIS FORD We notice on this website that in 2000 you were looking for a solution to silver plate hafnium. We have the same problem and are trying to either silver or nickel plate hafnium prior to brazing. Did you find a solution? If so, can you share it with us? Await your reply.

Best regards,

COLIN HUMPHRIES
- POTTERS BAR, HERTS, ENGLAND

If you have a question in mind which seems off topic, please Search the Site

ADD a Comment to THIS thread START a NEW thread View CURRENT TOPICS

Disclaimer: It's not possible to diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations may be deliberately harmful.