Plating Surface Quality for Plastics

[neeraj_bapat]

I am copper electroplating a plastic piece with your Acid copper plating kit. I am using the Silvaspray you recommended. I nicely prepared the plastic substrate (high surface finish) and then sprayed the silvaspray onto it..then allowed it to dry. After spraying the substrate surface becomes little rough...this results in similar copper plating results out of the acid copper plating bath...

What should be done to improve the surface finish after plating ?? ( sanding can be done after plating, but is'nt there any other method to improve surface finish?)

Can the dried silvaspray sanded a bit?

After plating surface finish problems only exist in plating plastics(silvasprayed) ..I get nice surface finish after plating when I try metals..!

Please HELP !!

Thx

Neeraj

[lcaswell]

You need to buff the copper. No way around it.

[mcaswell]

You could also alter your spray gun, and perhaps add a little more thinner to the Silvaspray.

[lcaswell]

I also read in your other post that you're using 2amps/sq in for your current density. This is VERY high and will result in a very grainy plating. Lower your CD to 70-100ma/sq in and you'll probably see better results.

[neeraj_bapat]

I mistakenly typed 2 am/in2; I am using CD of 0.2 a/in2.

I want to use copper as a final layer of plating..What should be done to avoid discoloration of plated copper. it turns dark red in patches upon washing with distilled water.