Palladium Brush Plating Solution

Price range: £64.18 through £237.39 + VAT

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We ship this product worldwide – see delivery information

Spa Plating’s palladium brush plating solution contains 10 grams of palladium per litre and is an ideal alternative to platinum and rhodium plating solution.

It also makes an excellent alternative to nickel when plating a barrier layer between copper and gold. Recommended electrode – Carbon or Platinum. For similar products to palladium brush plating solution, please see the ‘Related Products’ section below this tabbed panel.

 

HS Code: 3824 99 70

Our MultiPlater is the ideal choice for powering your palladium brush plating. This power source is designed and made by us at Spa Plating and is really straightforward to use.

A video showing how to use this solution with our equipment;

Here’s a list of the main items used in this video;

MultiPlater
MPU
Plating Pen
Mini Drip Tray
Short Platinum Electrode
Small Swab – Short

Back to Product Description

Main benefits;

  • Makes a great alternative to rhodium plating giving an authentic 18 carat white gold or platinum plated look.
  • palladium plating solution (unlike rhodium) doesn’t etch materials made of calcium carbonate such as pearl and coral, so you won’t have to worry about masking out these materials before submerging them in your palladium plating bath.
  • can be used as a substitute for nickel as a barrier layer for gold plating on copper and its alloys.
  • can be used as an alternative to silver as it doesn’t tarnish and is hard-wearing.
  • Very low porosity – excellent for corrosion protection.
  • Readily wettable by solder and dissolves a lot more slowly than gold in the solder making it an excellent top coat over gold for electrical contacts.

Brush Calculator

How to use this calculator:

  1. In the first box, select the solution you are using.
  2. In the second box, enter the surface area of the item you are plating.
  3. In the third box, enter the thickness you wish to plate to.
  4. In the fourth box, select the type of swab that you are using.
  5. Click ‘Calculate’ to see the volume of solution required and the plating time. The weight of metal plated is also shown. This can be especially useful if you are using accurate scales to check the weight plated and can potentially lead to more accurate measurements.

Operating Parameters and Deposit Data

Voltage Range 3.0 – 3.5
Temperature 18 – 25 °C
Palladium Concentration 10g/l
Electrode Carbon or Platinum
Palladium content in plate 99.9% (balance carbon, nitrogen)
Lightness (L*) of deposit 65 (Cielab)
Plating Rate at (3.5 volts, carbon electrode) 0.6 micron per minute
Hardness 488 Hv
Density of deposit 11.85 g/cm3
Stress Stressed
Special storage requirements None
Shelf life 1 – 2 years
Health and Safety classification Irritant
Special considerations None
Transport (UN number) None: Not classified as dangerous for transport

Delivery information

We ship worldwide, except for products that carry a UN classification for transport.

  • UK courier delivery (FedEx/APC): We use FedEx and APC. Delivery usually takes 2–7 working days from dispatch.
  • Royal Mail: Available for a limited range of non-liquid UK orders. Usually 5-10 working days from dispatch.
  • Free UK mainland delivery: On orders over £200.
  • International delivery: Usually 5-10 working days from dispatch.

Shipping costs: Add the items you require to your shopping cart and click ‘View cart’. Towards the bottom of the cart page, click ‘Calculate shipping’, select your country and enter your postcode. Then click ‘Calculate Shipping Costs’ to see the delivery charge.

VAT, import taxes and duties: For orders delivered outside the UK, we do not charge UK VAT once the delivery country has been selected correctly. Your destination country may charge its own import VAT or other local taxes when the goods arrive. Customs or import duty may also apply, depending on the product and destination. Import VAT and customs duty are separate charges, although the courier or customs authority may collect them together. We do not include these charges in our prices or delivery charges, and you are responsible for paying them.

Please click on the link below to download the SDS for this product:

https://goldn.co.uk/msds/palladium_brush_plating_solution.pdf

Preparing the surface for electroplating - creating a water break-free surface

Good surface preparation is one of the most important steps in successful electroplating. In fact, many plating problems occur because the metal surface hasn't been cleaned or prepared properly.

Before you start plating, your aim is to achieve a water break-free surface. This gives your plating solution the best possible chance of producing a sound, well-adhered finish.

The following guidance applies to pen, brush and tank electroplating.

What Is a Water Break-Free Surface?

A water break-free surface is a metal surface that’s completely clean and free from grease, oil and other contamination.

You can check this by holding your item under gently running water.

If the water flows evenly across the surface without forming droplets or pulling away into patches, you’ve achieved a water break-free surface.

However, if the water gathers into droplets or breaks apart, contamination may still be present. You’ll need to repeat the cleaning process before plating.

The photograph of the copper sheet above shows the difference.

On the top half of the copper sheet, contamination causes the water to gather into droplets.

On the bottom half, the water drains away evenly because the surface is clean. This is the water break-free finish you’re aiming for.

Water-break-free

Step 1: Make Sure Your Metal Has the Finish You Want

Before cleaning, check that your item has the surface finish you want to achieve.

Electroplating follows the contours of the underlying metal. Therefore, it won’t hide scratches or turn a matt surface into a highly polished one.

If your item needs polishing, complete this first.

If your work needs a lot of polishing and surface finishing you will need to make sure all of the residue from these processes are completely removed before attempting to electroplate.

For more information, see our guide to Hand and Machine Polishing Metal for Electroplating.

machine polishing

Step 2: Removing Polishing Compounds, Grease and Dirt

If you’ve polished your item with Autosol or used a polishing machine, you’ll need to remove any remaining polishing compounds.

Start by cleaning the surface with a suitable solvent or our MetaPrep.

Next, use liquid detergent to remove any remaining solvent or MetaPrep.

Finally, rinse thoroughly under running water until you’ve removed all traces of detergent.

This initial cleaning stage prepares your item for the final cleaning and activation process.

Step 3: Clean and Activate the Surface

Cleaning removes dirt, grease and oil. Activation removes the oxide layer that can form on metal surfaces.

Some metals, particularly stainless steel, nickel and nickel-containing alloys such as nickel silver, need special attention because of their oxide layers.

Spa Plating offers several ways to clean and activate your work. The best method depends on the metal you’re plating, its size and its surface condition.

For Small and Medium-Sized Items

If your item has a fairly smooth surface and isn’t made from stainless steel, nickel or a nickel-containing alloy, we recommend MPU (MetaPrep Ultra).

MPU removes remaining traces of oil while activating the metal surface at the same time.

Apply it using tissue paper, making sure you treat the whole surface.

For Stainless Steel, Nickel and More Difficult Surfaces

If you’re preparing stainless steel, nickel or nickel-containing alloys, we recommend our ActiClean.

ActiClean cleans and activates the surface in one process.

It’s also a useful choice for very large items or those with uneven surfaces.

For this process, use a Carbon Electrode, preferably, or a Platinum Electrode.

For Tank Plating and Items with Recesses

If you’re preparing items for tank plating, you can use our powered Cleaning Beaker together with our Cleaner. You can use our in-house designed and manufactured MultiPlater to power this stage.

This powered immersion method is particularly useful for items with rough surfaces or recesses.

For example, some surfaces may catch on a cleaning swab, while recessed areas can trap traces of MPU. The Cleaning Beaker provides an alternative way to prepare these items.

Step 4: Check for a Water Break-Free Surface

Once you’ve completed the cleaning and activation process, it’s time for the final check.

Hold your item under gently running water and watch how the water behaves.

If it flows evenly across the surface without forming droplets or breaking apart, your item has passed the water break-free test.

However, if the water gathers into droplets or pulls away from certain areas, repeat the appropriate cleaning steps.

Don’t start plating until you’ve achieved a water break-free surface.

Ready to Start Plating?

Once you’ve achieved a water break-free surface, you’re ready to move on to the appropriate plating process for your metal.

Remember, taking a little extra care during surface preparation can make a considerable difference to your final plating result.