INTA Technologies Corporation 2281 Calle de Luna, Santa Clara, CA 95054 || Tel: 408-748-9955 || Fax: 408-727-3027

 

Hard Gold Plating

 

 

Table of Contents

 

Does INTA plate hard gold?

Yes. The relevant specification is Mil-G-45204 Type I. The process involves electroplating. Hard gold can be plated on most materials including conductive and non-conductive components, substrates and assemblies.

 

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Is hard gold a common plating service for INTA?

Yes, very common.

 

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What is the difference between hard gold and soft gold?

Both hard and soft gold are very pure but soft gold is more pure (99.9%+ vs 99.7%). Soft gold is popular in the semiconductor industry and is ideal for parts set for wire bonding. Soft gold produces a matte appearance compared to hard gold. Hard gold contains some nickel and cobalt and is less ideal for wire bonding. Hard gold is suitable for applications calling for mechanical wear and/or shiny appearances.

 

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Which is better hard gold and soft gold?

One is not better than the other, each has their unique properties and uses. If one needs a shiny appearance, hard gold would be preferred. If one needs a very high purity gold deposit, soft gold is preferred. Hard gold is better for applications calling for mechanical wear such as sliding contacts.

 

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Is hard gold cheaper than soft gold?

Both hard and soft gold are 99.7%+ pure gold so the price is the same in almost every case.

 

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What is the lead time for hard gold plating projects?

Five (5) business days is the standard hard gold plating lead time. Larger projects may take more time. Sometimes tooling is needed, such as racks or hard masks. If tooling is required, the lead time may be longer than five business days. The lead time can be found on your quote. Contact INTA Technologies to request a quotation contact@intatech.com

 

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What is the largest item INTA can plate with hard gold?

Standard: 12-18” max length. 10” max diameter. All dimensions approximate. Large items can be quite costly to plate due to material costs (gold is very expensive). Custom projects (very large pieces) may be accomplished at INTA but the costs are very high. Call INTA for a quote 408-748-9955 x113. Drawings are required.

 

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Are there any materials INTA will not plate?

Yes, lead, cadmium and several other materials are not plated on by INTA. INTA is RoHS compliant.

 

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Is INTA willing to sign an NDA?

Yes, in most cases.

 

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What thickness of hard gold should I specify on the drawing?

The answer is project specific. Thicknesses range from 3u” to .015”. A typical hard gold coating thickness would depend on factors such as application, use environment, testing procedures, atmosphere, temperature requirements, substrate, finish, geometry and more. In general, coating are in the 1-8 micron range. The relevant specification is Mil-G-45204 Type I. According to the specification, the customer should furnish the following information to the plater (this is a partial list):

 

Type, grade and class

Finish required, bright or matte (matte is soft gold)

Strikes and underplating required

Location of critical surfaces

Degree of smoothness required and method of determination

Post-plating testing required if applicable (solderability, bake out, etc.)

Preparation for delivery (packaging)

 

Contact blake@intatech.com or 408-748-9955 x113 (Blake Kneedler, Manufacturing Engineer) for further information.

 

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Can INTA plate hard gold on titanium?

Yes.

 

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Can INTA plate on molybdenum?

Yes.

 

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What about CuW?

INTA Technologies plates copper tungsten. INTA Machining also manufactures CuW components. Most customers prefer soft gold on copper tungsten but INTA can deposit hard gold on CuW if your application requires such a finish.

 

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Does INTA Technologies plate hard gold on plastic?

Yes, but some types of plastic are excluded. ABS, PEEK, PET, PVC and many other resins and plastics accommodate hard gold plating very well. Think of the cost savings when substituting a solid gold or solid metal piece with a gold plated plastic component!

 

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What is the smallest machined part INTA can plate?

In general, .040” x .040” x .020” or 1mm x 1 mm x .5 mm

 

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How hard is the gold?

130-200 Knoop hardness.

 

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How pure is hard gold?

24 Karat, 99.7+ % pure

 

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How does hard gold plating compare to rhodium plating?

Rhodium is a harder, more durable coating. Rhodium is able to withstand very high temperatures. Hard gold coatings are generally less expensive than rhodium or platinum coatings. Hard gold and soft gold cost about the same.

 

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How does hard gold compare to electroless nickel phos plating or chrome plating?

Hard gold is very robust but eless nickel phos and chrome plating are more common. All three coatings offer a very hard, durable coating. Gold is much more expensive than nickel or chrome. A hard gold coating would typically be used on electrical contacts and small items whereas chrome and nickel phos plating can be used on large industrial equipment and aircraft.

 

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What about cobalt plating and cobalt alloys?

INTA does not commonly offer cobalt or cobalt alloy plating. Please contact Dr. Francis Honey (fhoney@intatech.com) for further details.

 

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What makes the gold hard?

Small amounts of nickel, cobalt and other contributing factors.

 

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Why hard gold?

Hard gold coatings have many important uses. Anti-corrosion, anti-galling, durability, appearance, etc. There are many reasons to use hard gold finishes. Contact INTA Technologies to discuss your project sales@intatech.com

 

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Are there any resources designers or interested parties can review?

We recommend Metal Finishing Magazine as a resource for folks interested in learning more about this topic (www.metalfinishing.com).

 

Interested parties may also wish to visit www.finishing.com for helpful insights.

 

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Is gold a noble metal?
Yes, gold is certainly considered noble metal.  Noble metals are metals which are resistant to corrosion or oxidation.  Here is a list of other noble metals:

Copper
Ruthenium
Rhodium
Silver
Rhenium
Osmium
Iridium
Platinum
Gold
Mercury

To a physicist, all the d-bands in the electronic structure must be filled in order for an element to qualify as a noble metal.  In which case the only noble metals are copper, silver and gold.  Try this experiment:  Prepare a clean platinum plated surface in high vacuum and then compare the results using the same process with a gold plated surface.

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Does INTA plate for international customers?

Yes, INTA ships products around the world. We have built our reputation over the past decades. We are well-known and well-respected due to our rich company heritage, commitment to quality and the fine work we have done brings customers back repeatedly.

 

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Does INTA sell chemicals?

No. INTA offers many products and services including machining, plating, brazing, assembly, metallizing, ceramics and others but does not sell plating chemicals.

 

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Does INTA buy chemicals from overseas or is everything made in the USA?

INTA Technologies purchases plating chemicals from vendors in the USA.

 

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What type of equipment is needed for hard gold plating?

Consult your local jeweler for small plating projects. INTA concentrates on industrial applications and our list of equipment is exhaustive due to the high product mix and high reliability nature of our work. Here is a partial list:

 

Preparation tanks

Rinse tanks

Plating tanks

Liquid pumps for circulation

Monitoring devices and recorders

Wastewater treatment

Air ventilation equipment

Nitrogen

Dryer

Microscopes

XRFs

Full series of inspection tools (too many to name)

DI water packs

Laboratory equipment (too many instruments to name) for titration and chemical analysis

Liquid heating systems

Power sources

Meters

And much more!

 

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Who should I call or send an email to if I have plating questions?

Blake Kneedler, Manufacturing Engineer

blake@intatech.com

408-748-9955 x113

 

or

 

Dr. Francis Honey, Engineering Manager

fhoney@intatech.com

408-748-9955 x103

 

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Last revised: 5 DEC 2008