Many people may not know what electroplating is, but all kinds of electroplating products have long been found in every corner of our lives.
So what is electroplating?
Electroplating is a process in which a layer of the metal film is uniformly attached to the surface of metal or other materials by electrolysis, which is mainly used to increase wear resistance, prevent corrosion, increase the thickness or change the beauty of objects. It is widely used in aerospace, automotive, hardware and medical devices, and other industries.
So how can plastic be electroplated if it does not conduct electricity?
Although most of the electroplating substrates are metals, electroplating on plastics is also a commonly used process, which combines polymers and metals to create unique physical properties and increase the additional properties and value of plastics.
Plastics do not conduct electricity, so they cannot be electroplated directly like metal workpieces, but will first use the method of electroless plating to obtain a layer of conductive metal film on the plastic surface. In order to make this layer of metal combine more firmly with the plastic, a chemical solution will be used before the degree to make plastic surface corroded into pits. This process is also called coarsening, and then thickening the coating by electroplating, thus realizing the electroplating of the plastic.
For example, the toy sword that children play with is plastic plating. Have you learned it?