Copper is one of the most commonly electroplated metals, after nickel. This is due to the numerous applications in which copper plays a vital role as well as the properties of copper and the ease of electrodeposition. A few of the benefits are listed below:
- High plating efficiency: Copper has a high plating efficiency resulting in excellent coverage on difficult to plate parts, such as castings. This means that minor imperfections in the base metal, such as pits and scratches, will also be covered.
- Inert in other plating solutions: Copper is relatively inert in most plating solutions.
- Conductivity: Copper has a very high electrical and thermal conductivity, one of the reasons for its high plating efficiency. The thermal conductivity leads copper to act as an effective thermal expansion barrier. It does this by absorbing and distributing stress when metals with two different thermal expansion rates undergo a change in temperature, resulting in fewer breakages. This is especially useful on plastics.
- Range of mechanical hardness: Copper has can range in hardness from properties superior to wrought copper to annealed pure copper. It can be relatively soft which means that the levelling and brightness of copper can be enhanced after plating due to the ease and relative low cost of polishing and buffing.
The qualities above lead copper to be an excellent metal for a filler plate or a middle plate to give enhansed corrosion protection. Whichever finish you need, copper can be used as an integral part of the plating process.
