Electrolytic alkaline zinc plating is a metal surface treatment technology that is used to improve the corrosion resistance, aesthetics and functionality of metal products. This process typically uses zinc as the plating material, which is deposited onto the substrate through an electrolytic process to form a protective film.
Author: Anna
Electrolytic alkaline zinc plating is a metal surface treatment technology that is used to improve the corrosion resistance, aesthetics and functionality of metal products. This process typically uses zinc as the plating material, which is deposited onto the substrate through an electrolytic process to form a protective film. The process of alkaline zinc plating takes place in an alkaline solution, which tends to provide a finer, more uniform coating than acidic zinc plating, such as sulfate zinc plating.
The main steps in alkaline zinc plating include:
Pre-treatment: Cleaning of the substrate to remove grease, rust and oxides to ensure that the plating will adhere well to the substrate.
Activation: The substrate is chemically treated to activate the surface in preparation for the deposition of zinc ions.
Electroplating: The substrate is placed as a cathode into an alkaline electrolyte containing zinc ions, which are reduced and deposited as a metallic zinc layer on the surface of the substrate by means of a DC power supply.
Post-treatment: After plating, the plated parts are cleaned and dried, and sometimes passivated or coated with a protective layer to enhance corrosion resistance.
Electroplated alkaline zinc is widely used in the automotive, construction, electronics, and hardware industries for the manufacture of screws, nuts, metal frames, and other parts that require corrosion resistance. Due to stringent environmental regulations, modern electroplating processes also focus on reducing emissions of hazardous substances and improving resource utilization and recycling rates.