One of the methods that is used to increase the resistance, shine and effect on various metals and sometimes even on other objects and artifacts. It is gold plating. But in fact, this method is mostly done on different ornaments made of silver, zinc and steel in order to prevent oxidation, adornment and more effect and reduce the finished price of the products. Pieces that are plated with gold have a special luster and are very similar to gold, and are sometimes even mistaken for real gold.
What is gold plating?
The process in which a thin layer of a metal is deposited on another metal during the electrolysis process is called electroplating, but if gold is used as a coating, it is known as gold plating. In the electroplating process, gold and jewelry or any other type of metal are placed in a container containing gold alloy, then an electronic current is introduced to the object, this current causes a thin layer of gold to be deposited on the mentioned objects. When a piece of jewelry is made with 18 carat gold, in order to make the final product more shiny and shiny, it is covered with a 24 carat gold, gold plating is also called "gold color change" in colloquial speech. Generally, people use the plating method to change the color of gold, for example from yellow to white or white to rose gold, etc. Even to polish the old gold or so-called new gold, the gold plating method is used and they make the jewelry shine like the first day. The thickness of the plating layer is different for different artifacts and objects.
Gold plating steps
Gold payment or preparation In the first step, the surface of the base metal must be cleaned and free of any foreign contaminants, this work is usually done by a device called dynamo. In this device, a series of hair, felt or cotton brushes are placed, which, together with Penza oil, remove almost deep lines on the target piece, and finally, they use special gold polish and hair brush to make the work shiny. Wash it In order to remove all the fats well, we use detergent powder and hot water and wash the work thoroughly, then place the desired piece in a container containing 30 grams of potassium or sodium cyanide dissolved in one liter of distilled water. , we put it and finally we rinse it with city water. slipping In the next step, the part under the work is placed in a solution of one liter of distilled water 100 or one beaker of concentrated sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and then we wash it with city water and finally we dry the metal using sawdust until all the moisture in the metal is removed. to be It should be noted that sawdust, in addition to absorbing all the gold's water and drying it well, preserves the gold's color and prevents the gold from becoming opaque. Plating tub At this stage, the electrolyte solution is first prepared. To make it, you need distilled water, one gram of high-quality gold, 3 grams of hydrogen, 5 grams of sodium and potassium cyanide, 3 grams of sodium or potassium carbonate, one cup of salt ink, and a quarter cup of ammonia solution. mix together, it is necessary to do this work professionally and step by step by an expert. After preparing this step, we place the desired part in a glass container made of Pyrex, fiberglass or a container with P.V.C cover, and pour the electrolyte solution on it. Pay attention, the maximum time for electroplating is 30 seconds, because prolonging it will cause the electroplated part to become cloudy.