Published
Stripping Silver From Copper and Copper Alloys
How does one go about stripping silver plate from copper and copper alloys?
Consultant
Share
Q. How does one go about stripping silver plate from copper and copper alloys? We find that most of the time the substrate is damaged and the part must be scrapped. P.S.
A. As any electroplater will tell you, stripping defective plates is always a challenge. The obvious solution to your problem is not to have defective parts. That being said. sometimes even in the best of operations, parts can be defective and must be replated.
The standard procedure for stripping of silver from copper and copper alloys is as follows:
Component/Temp. | Concentration/Operating Range
Sulfuric acid | 1 L
Nitric Acid | 50 mL
Temperature | 140 – 160°F
Parts must be absolutely dry when introduced in the solution and they should be agitated. Sometimes another solution is used which is used as follows:
Component/Temp. | Concentration/Operating Range
Potassium iodide | 250 g
Iodine | 8 g
Water | 1 L
Temperature | Room
RELATED CONTENT
-
A Chromium Plating Overview
An overview of decorative and hard chromium electroplating processes.
-
Plating Q&A: Can you color stainless steel?
Our expert, Art Kushner, says yes, you can color stainless steel, but it is not a process that is typically performed in a plating shop. Read more about his answer.
-
Choosing and Troubleshooting Copper Electroplating Processes
Learn more on this inexpensive and highly efficient process.
