Different Types of Metal Plating Chemicals

Plating describes surface covering where a metal is deposited on a conductive surface. Plating is used for many purposes, some of them are to decorate objects, corrosion inhibition, solder ability, hardens, improves wear ability, reduce friction, improve paint adhesion, alter conductivity, radiation shielding and for many other purposes. Different types of CA metal plating chemicals are gold plating, silver plating, rhodium plating, chrome plating, zinc plating, tin plating, alloy plating, composite plating, cadmium plating, copper plating, nickel plating, brass plating.

Gold plating means that a thin layer of gold is deposited into the surface of another metal. Mostly it is deposited in copper, silver, and chemicals. Gold plating is used in electronics, jewelry. Silver plating is mostly used in items like cutlery and candlesticks. Silver is cheaper than gold. So it is used as a replacement for gold. Rhodium plating is used on white gold, silver or copper and its alloys. Chrome plating can be used for decorative purposes, corrosion resistance, and increases hardness. Industrial chromium plating is also known as engineered chrome.

There are two types of industrial chrome plating like hexavalent chromium, and trivalent chromium. Zinc plating involves the electrolytic application of zinc by immersing clean steel parts in a Zinc salt solution and applying an electric current. Tinplate is sheet steel covered with a thin layer of tin. Tinplate is mostly used in the manufacture of tin cans. Tinplate was used for cheap pots, pans and other hollowware. It is not safe to eat food from a rusty tin can. Tinplate has been replaced by galvanized vessels. An electroplated alloy may be solid solution strengthened or precipitation hardened by heat treatment to improve the plating physical and chemical properties. Tungsten Plate, silicon carbide, chromium carbide, and aluminum oxide are commonly used in composite electroplating.

Cadmium plating is used in aerospace fasteners, military and aviation specs. Cadmium plating can be used for corrosion resistance, has relatively low thickness, and for salt atmospheres, lubricity and solder ability. Cadmium plating is under examination because of the environmental toxicity of the cadmium metal. Different types of nickel plating are bright nickel and semi-bright nickel. Bright nickel plating is used in automotive, electrical, hardware and other industries. Black nickel plating is lustrous and has a black or dark gray color. Plating is done with little or no agitation. Copper plating is the process in which a layer of copper is deposited on the item to be plated by using an electric current. Three basic copper plating are alkaline, acid and mildly alkaline.