Re: plating aluminum

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <Hollmike-at-aol-dot-com>

Robert, 
  Plating onto aluminum is simple - if you do one thing first.  Take a metal 
salt(I used nickel chloride if memory serves) and complex it in a solution of 
ammonium hydroxide.  The excess ammonium hydroxide will dissolve the oxide 
coating and cause the nickel to enter a redox reaction with the aluminum and 
leave a nice 'strike' plate which can then be plated in a normal fashion.  I 
don't remember the details of what I did for this because it was done about 
15 years ago, but it was very simple to get the nickel layer onto it could 
not be removed without sanding it off(or something similar).  I would imagine 
since copper sulfate is easily complexed in ammonium hydroxide, it would work 
too.  Haven't tried it though. 
Mike 


>
> Aluminum is one of the most dif icult metals to plate. The oxide coat that 
> protects Al is a berrior to plating. It can be done, but not without good 
> chemistry and equipment.     Robert 
>