Chemical Properties of Plating

What Are Chemical Properties?

Chemical properties are characteristics that control how a material reacts to its surrounding chemical environment, either protecting the base material or promoting specific reactions. This article covers four key properties that determine product performance: corrosion resistance, chemical resistance, biocompatibility, and solderability.

Corrosion Resistance

This property protects the base material from acids, salt water, and moisture, with endurance time in salt spray testing serving as a common selection criterion. In high-corrosion-risk environments such as marine equipment and automotive parts, plating with excellent corrosion resistance contributes to longer component life. Typical examples include zinc, zinc-nickel alloy, and electroless nickel.

Chemical Resistance

This property provides durability that resists degradation and dissolution even when exposed to chemicals. It supports the stable operation of chemical plants and semiconductor equipment that use acids and organic solvents. It requires a different approach from general corrosion protection, and PTFE-nickel, hard chrome plating, and gold plating are well suited.

Biocompatibility

The safety to prevent adverse reactions such as allergies and rejection upon contact with the human body is an essential requirement for medical devices such as surgical instruments and implants. Gold, platinum, and passivated stainless steel perform well in this regard, and compliance with ISO 10993 is also achievable.

Solderability

This property ensures that solder wets and spreads uniformly to form strong joints. It is critical in electronic component assembly processes, such as printed circuit boards, to prevent electrical connection failures. Recommended finishes such as tin, tin-silver alloy, and gold flash require strict storage management to prevent performance degradation caused by surface oxidation.

Comparison of Properties

The table below summarizes the benefits, typical applications, and recommended plating types for each property. Use it as a reference when defining your requirements.

Same Material, Different Results: Not Every Company Can Deliver the Right Plating Process

Even when the same material or plating type is specified on paper, whether the resulting quality can withstand harsh chemical environments depends on the process control capabilities of the plating company. Functional plating demands a deep understanding of chemical properties, including data management for biocompatibility certification and know-how in oxidation prevention treatments.

It is essential to select a company with a proven process control system and track record, not just favorable specifications. This site has compiled the capabilities and quality control systems of various companies, which you can use to narrow down suppliers that match your requirements.