Chromium plating on plastics is a process of plating a layer of chromium on the surface of plastics, which is designed to give plastic products a metal-like appearance and performance.
Author: Anna
Chromium plating on plastics is a process of plating a layer of chromium on the surface of plastics, which is designed to give plastic products a metal-like appearance and performance. This process is widely used in automobiles, home appliances, electronics, and home decor. The following is a detailed description of plastic chrome plating:
1. Purpose of plastic chrome plating
Aesthetics: to give plastic products a metallic luster and enhance the appearance of texture.
Abrasion resistance: improve the hardness and abrasion resistance of plastic surface.
Corrosion resistance: enhance the corrosion resistance of plastic products.
Functionality: improve the conductivity and electromagnetic shielding properties of plastics.
2. Plastic chrome plating process
The process of plastic chromium plating is more complicated than metal chromium plating, usually including the following steps:
2.1 Pre-treatment
Cleaning: remove oil and impurities on the surface of the plastic.
Roughening: Roughen the surface of the plastic by chemical or physical methods (such as sandblasting) to improve the adhesion of the plating.
Activation: Activate the plastic surface with chemicals (e.g. palladium salts) to make it electrically conductive.
2.2 Chemical Plating
Chemical nickel plating: deposited on the surface of the plastic layer of nickel, as a conductive layer and intermediate layer.
Chemical Copper Plating: Deposits a layer of copper on top of the nickel layer to further improve conductivity and plating bonding.
2.3 Electroplating
Chromium plating: Plating a layer of chromium on the copper layer to form the final chromium plating layer.
Plating thickness: usually 0.1-0.3 μm, the specific thickness is adjusted according to the application requirements.
2.4 Post-treatment
Cleaning: Removal of plating residues to ensure a clean surface.
Drying: Dry the workpiece by hot air or compressed air.
Protective coating (optional): Apply a transparent protective varnish on the chrome layer to improve corrosion and abrasion resistance.