What is the difference between plastic electroplating and metal electroplating?
With the rapid development of industry, the application of plastic electroplating processing is becoming increasingly widespread, becoming one of the important means of surface decoration in plastic products. At present, electroplating has been widely applied on the surfaces of plastics such as ABS, polypropylene, polysulfone, polycarbonate, nylon, phenolic glass fiber reinforced plastics, polystyrene, etc. both domestically and internationally. Among them, ABS plastic electroplating is the most widely used and has the best electroplating effect.
The appearance requirements for plastic electroplating are smoother than those for metal products, and the brightness can generally be achieved, but there is a certain degree of difference in its degree. It is generally believed that a better plastic electroplating appearance is a bright and shiny "black" color, with a "thick" visual sense of brightness. This macroscopic feeling is determined by the microscopic state of the surface, which means that the microscopic surface must be very flat. The coating of plastic electroplating must not have a mist like appearance, and extremely slight mist cannot be detected under strong light or in front view. It can only be detected under specific angles and light, so it is easily overlooked. As for defects such as exposed plastic, peeling, burrs, pitting, and poor deep plating, they are absolutely not allowed to exist in plastic electroplating. Some secondary assessment areas and various parts such as the reverse side should be coated with a bright color, without blackening, plastic exposure, or fixture scratch marks.
Compared with metal parts, plastic electroplated products can not only achieve a good metallic texture, but also reduce the weight of the product. While effectively improving the appearance and decorative properties of plastic, it also improves its performance in electrical, thermal, and corrosion resistance aspects. However, the selection of plastic materials for electroplating should comprehensively consider factors such as material processing performance, mechanical properties, material cost, electroplating cost, difficulty of electroplating, and dimensional accuracy. Due to its structural advantages, it not only has excellent comprehensive performance and is easy to process and shape, but also the material surface is prone to erosion and obtains high coating adhesion, so it is currently widely used in electroplating.