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08
2019
-
03
The difference between domestic metal plating and plastic plating
Author:
I. Differences in the Plating Processes for Hardware vs. Plastics The plating process for plastics is as follows: degreasing—hydrophilization—roughening—neutralization—pre-soaking—activation—de-gelling—chemical nickel—copper strike—acid copper—nickel—chrome. The plating process for hardware is as follows: cleaning—copper sulfate plating—semi-bright nickel plating—bright nickel plating—chrome plating—drying. II. Differences in Characteristics Between Hardware and Plastic Plating A key characteristic of plastic plating is that plastics themselves are non-conductive, so they must first undergo a conductive treatment—specifically, activation and chemical plating—to ensure a robust metallic film adheres firmly to the surface. After that, the subsequent steps are essentially the same as those used in hardware plating.
1. The Differences Between the Electroplating Processes for Hardware and Plastics
The process for plastic electroplating and plastic plating is as follows: degreasing—hydrophilization—roughening—neutralization—pre-impregnation—activation—degluing—chemical nickel—copper strike—acid copper—nickel—chrome.
The process for metal plating is as follows: cleaning — copper sulfate plating — semi-gloss nickel plating — bright nickel plating — chrome plating — drying.
II. Differences in Characteristics Between Metal and Plastic Electroplating
The characteristic of plastic electroplating is that the plastic itself is non-conductive, so it first requires a conductive treatment—namely, activation and chemical plating—to ensure that a metal film adheres firmly to the surface. After that, the process is no different from conventional metal electroplating.
III. Differences Between Plating Materials for Hardware and Plastics
The substrate for metal plating is metallic, such as iron, zinc alloys, and copper alloys. In contrast, the substrate for plastic plating is plastic. Due to the differences in substrates, the preliminary processing steps required are entirely distinct; however, the subsequent electroplating processes are generally the same for both. This is the key distinction observed when comparing these two materials.
IV. The Price Difference Between Metal and Plastic Electroplating
As for the pricing of the two options: it depends on the material used for the plating, as well as the required plating thickness and testing standards. Many factors can influence the cost of electroplating—for example, electroplating chrome onto a small plastic part is relatively inexpensive, whereas electroplating gold onto a larger metal component is considerably more costly. Moreover, the thickness of the plating layer directly affects the price. Therefore, to properly assess the situation, one must analyze the specifics of each case; hence, the two cannot be compared directly.
However, if the coating is the same, plastic electroplating is more expensive, because the plastic electroplating process involves several additional steps and is also more difficult to achieve, making it inherently more costly.
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