logo

Silver Plating

Silver Electro Plating

Pure silver has a brilliant white metallic luster. It is a little bit harder than gold and is very ductile and malleable. Pure silver has the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of all metals, and possesses the lowest contact resistance. Silver is stable in pure air and water, but tarnishes when exposed to ozone, hydrogen sulfide, or air containing sulfur. In electroplating, silver is primarily used for industrial applications, particularly electrical connectors. It is also used in the telecom, automotive, jewelry and dinnerware industries. Silver electroplate can be applied utilizing either rack fixture or barrel plating technologies. Typically a silver plating specification will specify a matte, semi-bright, or bright finish with or without a chromate post treatment to improve tarnish resistance. Plating specifications also designate the base coating to be applied under the silver plate. The thickness of coatings can range from 1 micron for short-term shelf life and solder ability, to 10 microns for thermo-compression bonding and die attachment, and up to 40 microns for severe wear resistance applications. Other factors addressed in silver-plating specifications include the purity of silver, hardness, conductivity and solder ability requirements and methods for testing adhesion. Some of the more common silver-plating specifications include ASTM B 700, QQ-S-365, AMS 2410 and AMS 2412.