Uyemura Showcasing Hard Silver, Cyanide-free, Other Plating

Uyemura will showcase a number of products, including Arguna 630, a hard silver electrolyte with hardness of 120-130 HV, well-suited for high-stress electromechanical components. The electrolyte is formulated to increase mating cycles and contact durability, and it is high-voltage-compatible. 

The company also will highlight Miralloy, a cost-effective alternative to silver, palladium and nickel that now is cyanide-free. The Miralloy process deposits a uniform finish as thick as 8 microns that has high resistance to abrasion and corrosion. The finish is RoHS-compliant, nonmagnetic and nonallergenic, and it will not tarnish, the company says. Its high hardness value and solderability make it well-suited for HF connectors, contacts, solder pins and jewelry. The Black Miralloy version produces black finishes.

Also featured will be KHW-NC, a semi-bright alkaline copper that plates directly onto aluminum and aluminum alloys, and eliminates double zincating. It also can be used as a cyanide copper strike replacement for zinc castings. Deposits are dense, and resist both corrosion and thermal shock, making it suitable as an underplate for bright nickel, microcrack and chrome. Used with a nickel barrier, it is also suitable as a base for gold. According to the company, Its bond strength passes ASTM B571. 

BlackNight is a new film “shape” that offers micro-uniformity and corrosion resistance, as well as high L values, low reflectance and dense topography. The company says the deposited matrix combines a mid-phos electroless nickel-phosphorus (Ni-P) overplate and a blackening agent electrolyte that uniformly etches and deposits a nickel-oxide (Ni2O3) enriched surface. Hardness of 600-80 HV can be achieved.

Finally, Uyemura will feature its Rhoduna Alloy, a galvanic deposit of rhodium and ruthenium formulated to deliver performance and whiteness equal to high-quality rhodium coatings, but with greater smoothness and durability.