Products that have been silver plated have the highest conductivity of all metals. Their best attributes are that they can be used for soldering, are corrosion resistant, are durable, are wear resistant and can be used by an array of consumers for many different reasons, such as electronics, jewellery and in the automotive industry.
The Golden History of Silver
Silver Plating was historically used in ancient civilisation where the noble metals where seen as objects of great beauty. They were believed to contain the mystic qualities of distant heavenly bodied. Gold was seen symbolically as the sun and silver as the moon and the Ancient Egyptians called silver “white gold”. The most famous mythical attributes of silver are its powers against enchantment and it is thought to contain powers against witches and vampires in other cultures, too.
How Did Silver Plating Occur?
Silver plating was originally used because it was a cheaper equivalent to the use of solid gold, usually in the home, for decorative objects, such as cutlery and candlesticks. The earliest type of Silver plating was Old Sheffield Plate but in the 19th Century new methods were introduced, such as electroplating.
Silver Plating
Silver plating occurs when Silver cyanide is used in the electrolyte, as opposed to other compounds of Silver such as Silver Nitrate because the cyanide ion reacts with the Silver ion, forming a complex ion, limiting the supply of free Silver nitrate ions in the solution. This enables them to deposit themselves on to the cathode creating a shiny and adherent silver plating available and great for use in many industries.
The benefits of Silver plating are:
- That it is very soft
- Has very low shear strength
- Acts as a solid lubricant
- Has low friction (it’s lowest when it is dry)
- That is doesn’t oxidise particularly at temperature (good for exhausts)
- Doesn’t need lubricant
- Can be made in to a paste to perform as a lubricant, known as ‘silver-doped paste’ (for industrial usage)
- Used for soldering
- Corrosion resistant
- Durable
- Wear resistant
Who or which Industries reap the benefits of Silver plating?
- Electronic
- Costume Jewellery
- Industrial
- Telecoms
- Automotive
- Fasteners
- Decoratively
us, Your Specialist Plating Company
us are leading specialists in the plating industry and specialise in electroless nickel plating based in Derbyshire, England. We have a wide range of developed techniques available to provide high-end, cost effective services for you. We have considerable experience working with companies in the automotive, aerospace and military industries and offer our services to the UK, France, Holland, Brazil and Germany.