Copper plating is a useful plating process for increasing the solderability of smaller parts, making them more flexible and improving their conductivity, among several other benefits.

The process is thus widely used in a wide variety of commercial practices, but what is it precisely? Furthermore, why do you need copper plating in your business? All of this and more is what we will be discussing in this article.

The Definition of Copper Plating

Copper plating is an electrochemical process where a layer of copper is placed on a solid metallic surface with the help of an electric current.

At the beginning of the process, the material which is going to be plated is cleaned, all to prevent imperfections. Then an electric current is passed through a copper salt electrolyte solution. Then two terminals are added in the solution which connects them to a power supply. That, in turn, gets electricity to flow through the circuit and as a result, a thin layer of copper is deposited on the material.

It’s performed for various functional purposes as well as decorative effect making the process widely used by many industries.

The finish of the process is either dull, semi-bright, polished, satin, or gloss.

The Benefits of Copper Plating

There are several significant benefits of copper plating, mostly because copper has a wide variety of useful properties and qualities.

  • Malleability – bends easily and can thus maintain adhesion
  • Perfect adhesion – copper plating achieves a smooth cover for both ferrous and non-ferrous base metals. It makes for an ideal base for additional coating and plating
  • Corrosion resistance – not as effective as nickel, which is why nickel plating is often added after copper plating
  • Conductivity – both electrical and heat (only silver offers higher electrical conductivity than copper, but silver is more expensive and thus less used)
  • Antibacterial qualities
  • High compatibility with other forms of plating
  • Cost-effectiveness – mostly because of how inexpensive and abundant copper is in the world. Combine that with its usefulness, and you get one of the most beneficial types of plating

The Uses of Copper Plating

Copper plating is among the most widely used types of plating, and it has a lot of applications.

  • Radio frequency interference and electromagnetic interference shielding, due to its high conductivity
  • Aluminum wheels finish because the copper provides a brighter look and levels many surface imperfections
  • Preparation layer on many materials which require nickel and silver plating as copper makes these finishes stick
  • Renovation of older and worn items
  • Enhancing the appearance of metals and plastic
  • Laboratory and medical equipment finish due to copper’s high bacterial resistance
  • Coin finish for many denominations across the world due to how low-cost is copper plating, and for its durability
  • Large aerials which are placed under railways, since copper has bright and leveling properties

In the end, it’s worth noting that copper plating is widely used in electrical and electronics industries over a wide range of products, mostly due to the already known high conductivity of copper.If your business needs copper plating, feel free to visit our site and see what we offer, or you can directly contact us to find out how we can help you.