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Complete Process for Cleaning, Cu, and Ag Barrel Plating on Stainless Steel

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Q. Cu and Ag Barrel Plating on Stainless Steel?
Hi, I'm looking to find the complete process of cleaning (degreasing) and pre-plating a stainless steel part (15 mm x 13 mm x 4 mm) and putting a first layer of 4 microns of copper on it and then as second plating 4 microns of silver by using a small barrel plating unit.
Perhaps there are processes that I could read and/or apply?
Any help is welcome.

SAMER OUGHLI
- LAGUNA, METRO MANILA, Philippines
March 3, 2024

A. Hi Samer,
A general cycle would be: soak clean, electroclean, HCl activate, Wood's nickel strike, acid copper plating, and silver plating -- with adequate rinsing between each step, and possibly an anti-tarnish post-treatment. Please introduce yourself and the situation as a starting point because there are whole plating libraries and the subject can't be covered in a few paragraphs starting from scratch. :-)

nb plating Library
(part of the plating library at New Brunswick Plating [a finishing.com supporting advertiser])

4 microns is not a lot of plating, and copper and silver will tend to diffuse together, so you may need to add a layer of nickel or palladium plating between the copper and silver. A silver strike before silver plating can help with adhesion while preventing contamination of an expensive silver plating bath.

Luck & Regards,

ted_yosem
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

RFQ: Hello Friends, I'm looking for consultancy on my project: Silver on Copper by barrel plating --

61647-2a 61647-2d 61647-2b 61647-2c

My process so far on mild steel:

Soak clean
Electroclean
HCl activate
Nickel strike
4 microns Copper cyanide plating (3 to 5 micron is ok)
4 microns silver plating (3 to 5 microns is ok)
Possibly an anti-tarnish post-treatment
* All with adequate rinsing between each step

The process needs to pass the next test
A) Oven 270 °C for 5 min
- Check for plating blistering
- Perform peel-off test with tape
B) Temp test in 3 cycles
- 55 °C + 55 °C with a 1-hour pause in between.
- Check for plating blistering, discoloration & peel-off test with tape

Who can help?

samer oughli [returning]
shop - q.c. metro manila
June 11, 2024
privately respond to this RFQ
Ed. note: As always, gentle readers: technical replies in public and commercial replies in private please (huh? why?)

A. Hi Samer,

The first thing I would suggest is rotating those parts for an hour in a barrel in plain rinse water because I would not assume they can be barrel plated without damage without some testing and possible development efforts.

Luck & Regards,

ted_yosem
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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