The advantages of aluminum and aluminum alloy materials is have good conductivity, fast heat transfer, light weight, easy to shape and other advantages, but aluminum and aluminum alloy also have some disadvantage like low hardness, not wear-resisting, easy to occur intergranular corrosion, not easy to welding, and other shortcomings which affecting the use range. Therefore, in order to promote advantages and avoid disadvantages, we use electroplating to solve the problem in modern industry.
Advantages of aluminum electroplating
1) improve the decoration.
2) improve the surface hardness and wear resistance.
3) reduce friction coefficient and improve lubricity.
4) improve the surface conductivity.
5) improved corrosion resistance (including combination with other metals)
6) easy to weld.
7) improve the adhesion force when combined with rubber hot pressing.
8) improve reflectivity.
9) repair dimensional tolerance.
As aluminum is a relatively active metal and the electroplated material is more active than the aluminum material. Therefore, before electroplating, we must do the corresponding chemical transformation, such as zinc, zinc nickel alloy. It has a good binding force of the middle layer of each layer of copper plating. Due to the loose structure of the body, the surface part of die-casting aluminum cannot be polished off, otherwise, appear phenomenon such as pinhole, peeling.
Quality requirements
appearance without yellowing, pinhole, burr, blister, bruise, scratch and other adverse situation.
the film thickness is above 15um, and the salt spray test lasts for 48 hours. The film reaches CNS level 9 or above, with a potential difference of 130-150mv.
the binding force can pass the 60-degree bending test.
Precautions for aluminum and aluminum alloy electroplati operation
Each process of aluminum and aluminum alloy after etching must be carried out quickly. The shorter intermittent time between the process of aluminum profile in the cabinet, the better result. so as to avoid re-oxidation;
The second time of zinc impregnation should not be too long to avoid corrosion;
Water must be washed clean;
Power failure should be prevented during the electroplating process.