What are the benefits of using plastic plastic?
Aesthetics is an important advantage of adding metal to a plastic substrate. For example, a metallic coating such as gold or silver can dramatically brighten the appearance of a plain plastic surface. It can also produce a variety of colors. It can increase the resistance of the substrate against corrosion and even strengthen the plastic in some cases. In addition, metal coating can increase resistance to certain types of chemicals that may be used in various manufacturing processes or present in the environment.
What kind of material can be used for plastic plating?
While ABS is still used in about 90% of plastic plating, other plastic resins can be coated effectively. These resins include: phenolic, ureaformaldehyde, polyether sulfone, diallyl phthalate, polyether imide, Teflon, polyaryl ether, polycarbonate, polyphenylene oxide, inorganic hard nylon, polysulfone.
Plastics that are not known as "platable" are covered by the polyester resin family (which includes polyethylene, polyester, and PVC). There are some plastics that are plated only in the combined form. These members include the family of norils such as urethane, nylon polymers such as polypropylene, PEEK and PPS.
As a general rule, the high chemical resistance of the resin makes the plating process difficult. Considering the types of metals, copper coating on plastic is a common industrial process, especially for applications required for electrical conductivity. Other metals that can be plated on plastic include chrome, gold, silver and nickel. In some cases, different layers of different metals may be used.