Blog

Pickle Passivation of Stainless Steel Products

03/05/2016 13:05

Pickle Passivation helps to ensure corrosion resistance to the components of stainless steel and helps to considerably influence their life as well as their usefulness. The corrosion resistance of steel is often due to the presence of about thirteen percent chromium on the alloy. As for the oxygen, the chromium will form a dense chemically resistant layer of the chromic oxide that keeps the surface protected against any kind of corrosion.

Mechanical Treatment Damages on the Layer of Components

The passive layer of Pickle Passivation often forms again right after abrasion. The precondition to the corrosion resistance as well as passive layer is usually a metallically pure surface that has a sufficiently high presence of chromium.

Each and every mechanical damages of the top layer of the components are the following.

•    Contamination of the Ferritic matter.
•    Change in the structure of the layers.
•    Development of in-built stress.
•    Reduction of Chromium.

This will not only deteriorate the appearance of components but its corrosion resistance as well because of the presence of the ferric oxides. The continuous Pickle Passivation will not form from here, but instead, it is important that you will have a clean and pure surface by means of pickling right before passivation.

Corrosion Strain on the Stainless Steel

The corrosion strain off the insufficiently passive stainless steel can lead to the following.

•    Pitting Corrosion
•    Crevice Corrosion
•    Stress Corrosion Cracking
•    Inter Crystalline Corrosion
•    Corrosion that results to a contact with foreign objects

A dense passive layer will only be formed on the metallically pure surfaces. The Pickle Passivation that is done well for a stainless steel surface and welding seams is the following.

•    Metallically pure and free from discolouration and scales.
•    Consists full corrosion resistance on the components and consists of decorative metallic appearance.

Pickling versus Passivation

Pickling makes use of more aggressive acid as compared to those that are being used for passivation. The chemicals used for pickling of the stainless steel are well capable of dissolving the oxidation, weld oxides as well as scale and is well capable of etching the base material. Passivation, on the other hand, is more suitable to components that are free scale as well as the existing oxides. The newly machined components of the typically passive and the pickling is well suitable for new or for used materials that are welded, heat treated, cast or exhibit the existing oxides.

While the Pickle Passivation is intended to take off the free iron as well as surface contaminates, it is not effective at removing the existing oxidation, scale, weld oxides, scale as well as heavy contaminates. Both Passivation and Pickling is being used together on equipment in removing the oxidation, which helps to improve the corrosion resistance and as such, extends the life as well as the overall value of components. The chemical passivation is cleaner and is a more subtle process. The passivation chemicals that are used are not really aggressive in order to dissolve the surface oxides and thus, the pickling might be used before or in lieu of the passivation.
 

Silver Plating and Silver Electro Plating

29/08/2014 03:11
Silver plating is one type of electro plating not entirely used for the purpose of avoiding corrosion. Silver is a type of metal that has been in used for so long in almost all types of furniture, utensils, appliances and a lot more. Silver plating is the process of coating a conductive substrate with silver to prevent it from corroding while also adding a lustrous aesthetic touch to it. Silver is a white-colored metal with an oxidizing property. This metals is widely used electronics and semi-conductor industries because of its high conductivity. Since it is also an excellent conductor of heat, it also offers great solder ability. Silver plating is very beneficial because it is also malleable and has a high degree of lubricity; thus there is much of use of silver in bearing surfaces and anti-galling applications.
 
Silver is also ductile, hence it is the metal of choice next to gold to use as jewelry and flat wares for its decorative appeal. If you walk in a fancy restaurant you will see forks, spoons, platters and trays that are silver plated. Unlike gold or platinum, silver is relatively cheaper and looks as fancy so it is the metal preferred by most in putting a luxurious touch to an ordinary dining experience. There are different type if silver electro plating; it can range from bright, semi bright or matte types depending on what type you need. For strengthening the material against corrosion, chromate can also be added for endurance. Likewise, pure silver plating is also possible, yet it will be a bit ductile compared to the reinforced silvers. 
 
The beauty of silver electro plating is that it can be done to either ferrous or non-ferrous materials using corrosion resistant cyanide. This process can also be done to electrical components, bearing surfaces and bus bars. The most frequent use of silver is really ornamental on plates, cups, trophies or medals as it adds the perfect shine and beauty. Some even silver plate combs and mirrors, the options are endless because of silver’s ductility. However, silver plating is also highly commendable in the electronic industry, especially in variable capacitors, provides conductivity and serves as a shield against radiation. It also helps reduce friction and improve paint adhesion.  
 
There are different types of silver plating aside from electro plating. The process can be done through applying heat and pressure to fuse the substrate and silver together; another is brush application of liquid silver. Some other process do deposit the silver by doing vapor or sputter deposition. One very prominent feud of silver plating is humidity. One small crack can create an opening and humid can easily penetrate down to the inside of the metal substrate and begin corroding the base material. This effect results to some flaking to the copper surface as an example since humidity actually allows rapid galvanic corrosion. This exposes the flaked copper out of the silver plated layer which is known as the “res plague”.  Very careful handling and continuous finishing as maintenance for silver plated materials is always necessary.
 

Silver Electro Plating

30/07/2014 11:01
Silver electro plating refers to the process of coating a conductive surface with the silver metal to prevent it from abrasion and corrosion while adding a pearl like shine to its texture. Silver is a very popular white colored semi precious metal that is prone to oxidization. Due to the fact that it is a good conductor of electricity, it is used in electronics and similar industries. Silver is also an A-grade conductor of heat and thermal energy and also offers great solderability. It is malleable and can be bent into any shape and angles.
 
Types of Silver plating
 
Silver plating is typically of various types that range from Matte plating to (for decorative purposes) Bright and Semi-Bright coating. Pure Silver electroplating is also possible but the more famous one is with the use of Chromate. Many companies that offer silver plating offer industrial plating for different applications, such as bus bars, electrical components, bearing surfaces, to name a few.
 
Tarnish Resistance
Silver plating with several options for supplementary coating are also used nowadays to increase tarnish resistance of the surface. Depending on the solderability of the surface or the conductivity, different combinations of specific coatings are recommended.
 
 
Under-plating With Silver
 
Silver electro plating on metals like steel, zinc or many zinc-based alloys are required to have an undercoat of nickel on copper. Similarly, silver plating on copper and its alloys should carry a nickel undercoat as its absence will make the silver layer weak in temperatures ranging more than 300 degrees F.
 
Uses of Silver plating
 
• As the process of silver plating adds perfect polish and finish to the surface it is done on, the most common and worldwide usage of it is in ornamentation and enhancing of jewelry, utencils like plates and cups, trophies and/or medals.
 
• Silver electro plating can also be used to improve solderability of any surface. Silver coating hardens the surface and increases wear-ability. It can also withstand corrosion, helps in reducing friction and in improving paint adhesion. It is the ideal metal for altering the conductivity of any surface and prevents against radiation.
• Since electro plating is an atomic deposition process. That means that a thin film of silver metal gets formed on the surfaces. This acts as a layer for nanotechnology.
• Silver plating also finds application in electronics as a cheap replacement for metals like gold.
 
 
Cyanide Silver Solutions
 
The typical general-purpose cyanide silver electro plating consists of about 90–120 g of free alkali cyanid for 1 liter, with about 25–40 g of metallic silver for 1 liter. Free cyanide content in a silver bath performs numerous functions of solubilizing the silver, functioning as the electrolyte and corroding the anodes. 
 
Non cyanide Silver Plating
 
This variant of silver plating requires the anodes in an active condition and a film-free state to be able to replenish silver during the process as and when needed. Various combinations of nitrate, sulfa mate and lactate are employed for this purpose.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

CADMIUM ELECTROPLATING

02/07/2014 02:02
We have been into the field of Cadmium Plating for the past 10 years now and are known for the most premium quality services.
 
Since a large stock of metal finishing services are needed in the continent, we have arranged the best quality suppliers who have been with us for more than a decade and have been consistent in providing us the best quality raw materials just in order so that we can give you the best Cadmium Electroplating services.
 
We have a wide variety of coatings that can fit into any performance category of your performance metal frames. We also promise extreme durability and value for money in our services.
 
We have a very capable staff that has been sowing the seeds of quality since the inception of the company, helping it to achieve enviable position in the industry. While for us, quality service has been one of the aims to survive, we also look for timely service and after sales service. Our work does not finish off at the time when we are done with our product/service delivery, but it starts off. We always look forward to maintaining a bond with our customers so that whenever they need us in the later stages, we are here for them. 
 
We provide the Cadmium Electroplating to prevent any kind of corrosion and ensure that we offer the best of cadmium bonding to the surface just like the ones that are used in airplane industries.
 
The following are the benefits that make you chose Cadmium Electroplating:-
 
1. Cadmium electroplating offers low electrical resistance and therefore is able to give a good conduction of electric current.
 
2. Superior solderability- favorable galvanic coupling with aluminum; and great lubrication factor which is a great factor for lessening of any sort of friction.
 
3. The corrosion products of Cadmium are considered less beneficial and thus such kind of their nature is extensively used in maintenance of aircrafts and services.
 
4. Being an inseparable part of service of the aircraft, Cadmium is also resistant to any kind of growth of mold or bacteria.
 
Our company also knows that each customer has its own demand of products and also there can be times when pocket does not allow that kind of a budget. Our company takes care of all the customers’ needs and pockets. So, no matter how much lesser deeper pockets you have or no matter what your need be, our team of experts would be there to advise you what suits you the best in such a scenario and come out with the best metal finishing solutions that you can ever think of.
 
Cadmium is also our expertise because we know you have those huge machines in your company where the parts rub against each other and the overall look of them turns out to be really bad. Therefore, cadmium plating turns out to be the best thing for such cases since they can endure such friction better than their counterparts like zinc and last longer. 
 

 

Tin-Lead Plating

29/04/2014 07:52

Tin-Lead Plating, also known or referred to as solder plating or solder deposits, is a coating method wherein a layer of tin and lead are co-deposited onto a base part. This is predominantly used in coating electronic hardware for protection against corrosion, and as a base for soldering. It should be noted that tin-lead is soft and very ductile thus, it is vulnerable to scratches and abrasion, and especially, tin-lead is not easily oxidized in the air, and the final product color may be matte gray to bright, depending on the desired properties. 

 

Two main ways are present to apply a tin-lead coating, which may be done either by dipping the part to be plated into a hot solder or by printing solder paste then fusing it using infrared or convection reflow. There is a wide range of tin-lead alloy combinations being used which depends on the purpose and desired properties of the final product. The ratio of tin to lead in solder plating influences the hardness and the melting point of the object being plated. The composition ratio of tin to lead may be at 95% tin/ 5% lead or 60% tin/ 40% leadn/The higher the tin composition of the deposit, the higher its resistance to abrasion. After plating, proprietary brighteners are used that results into a dull luster and a slightly mottled appearance of the product.  

 

If a brighter appearance of the product is desired, it may be overlayed or overplated by a thin layer of bright tin or the deposit may be reflowed subsequently. Flow brightened or re-flowed matte are used on circuit boards and components because they do not have poor adhesion characteristics such as voids and bubbles. Thicker coatings are often found on grooved bearing designs which allows the imbedability of contaminants. Among the different alloy combinations, tin-lead alloys are the most convenient alloys to be electroplated because they deposit on similar rates.  To add, the other advantages of Tin-Lead Plating are as follows: tin-lead melts at low temperatures, easy to solder, different soldering methods may be used, alloys are relatively resistant to corrosion, good electrical conductors, ductile, not affected by subsequent operations and it can be reflowed to lengthen, enhance and improve shelf life of the product. This type of plating technique is most commonly used in electrical and electronic components such as in bearing, railway, aerospace, defense, battery and fire protection industries.  

 

Tin-Lead plating services are mainly used for incomparable solderability which is good for electronics because it eliminated the risk of the formation of tin whiskers. Whiskers are the spontaneous and unexplainable growth of tiny, needle-like extensions. These whiskers puts the components in danger or hazard by bridging conductor paths that can causes a short circuit. In addition, tin-lead plating is an excellent method for joining different metals because it offers and provides a strong and reliable bond. Though the use of tin-lead in plating is exceptional, there have been issues being raised because it is not good for the environment and for the health of the people. 

Tin-Lead Plating and Solder Plating

01/04/2014 09:11
Tin-Lead Plating is often engineered specifically for rack and barrel plating. It is whisker resistant and the process involved for this type of plating is extremely versatile. It results to a bright and consistent deposit and comes with a wide current range of density.
 
Tin Plating Has a Shelf Life
 
Basically, Tin-Lead Plating is a process of tin plating a lead component, thus, making soldering even easier. A lot of people are aware of this, but what they are not aware of is that tin plating actually has a shelf life. Soon enough, its ability to be easily soldered will degrade over time. Furthermore, the speed as well as the severity of degradation will depend both on the storage conditions as well as on the plating itself. The manufacturer of the component as well as the user will share the responsibility for the shelf life of the tin plating. The manufacturer should also use plating where the thickness is less prone to rapid degradation. Ideally, this would mean avoiding the high temperatures. Furthermore, the user must also understand the shelf life sufficiency of the Tin-Lead Plating so that the components will be used before the soldering failure will take place.
 
Basics of Soldering
 
Soldering would require bringing together the liquid tin lead solder as well as the components that are being soldered. The tin or the Tin-Lead Plating will provide a surface that can be soldered for a longer time. At the typical soldering temperatures of 250 up to 260°C,   the plating will melt and alloy with a molten solder, which, as a result, wets the substrate. Wetting is the process where the water wets the wood. This is essential even with the Solder Plating process. A surface that cannot be wet, like the glass which cannot be possibly wet by water, and thus, it cannot be soldered. Oxides are also not possible to be wet.
 
Process of Soldering
 
When it is exposed to temperatures that are below the melting point of the Solder Plating, the solder will slowly dissolve the tin plating. The Bond integrity will pretty much depend on how well the solder as well as the substrate and under plating will bond. The interaction of the molten solder towards the copper substrate and the nickel under plating will create a copper tin and nickel tin intermetallic.
 
The Solder Plating bonds will depend on the solder's Tin being soluble or in capable of forming a metallic bond towards the material that is being soldered. Solderabilty will demand that the plate surface will be clean and will remain clean and can be wet by the solder as well as the flux.
 
Loss of Solderability
 
The most common of solderability failure is that 5% of the solder surface will not be soldered. Loss of solderability in Tin as well as Tin Alloy plating often comes from these three conditions: high level of co-deposited carbon, excessive thickness of the metallic layer and the excessive amounts of oxides as well as other surface contaminants on the Tin-Lead Plating.
 

First blog

13/11/2013 21:40

Our new blog has been launched today. Stay focused on it and we will try to keep you informed. You can read new posts on this blog via the RSS feed.

Create a website for free Webnode