copper plating

Copper plating as a metal protection process plays a very widely used and important role because although it does not provide a protective coating as an end in itself, it constitutes an optimal intermediate layer for subsequent processing: Nickel plating.

In this process, therefore, copper-nickel-chrome deposits on iron are of very high protective value and therefore recommended for every characteristic, so much so that they are applicable to every industrial sector.

Plating is widely used as an intermediate layer in the Nickel Plating, Gold Plating e Silver plating of aluminium and its alloys, zinc and its alloys, alloys with a high percentage of lead, tin or antimony, on which the electrodeposition of other metals would not be possible without impairing adhesion.

Copper plating is an intermediate galvanic treatment to be carried out before proceeding with a further treatment, such as nickel or silver plating, on aluminium and zinc parts or on alloys where lead, tin or antimony are present in high percentages. On its own, copper plating does not guarantee adequate surface protection, which can instead be obtained by combining copper-nickel-chrome, the result of which – in terms of protection – is really very high-level: this is why it is widely used in practically every industrial sector. To subject a part to copper plating, the most commonly used techniques are the cyanide bath and the sulphate bath, which is often preferred for price and chemical stability.