Metallization is the process of coating surfaces with metal coatings. The object that is metallized is called a substrate. In Los Angeles metalizing has grown into a huge industry comprised of hundreds of service companies. They offer both services as well as rental of equipment to clients of different types. There high quality services are rendered at affordable rate, making them worthwhile for consideration.
The process of applying metal coatings onto surfaces of objects has a long history. The process can be traced back to the invention of mirrors in 1835. This process was used to make mirrors by coating glass surfaces with metallic silver. At that time, this process was only done in a basic manner. However, with the introduction of better technology, this process is now very sophisticated.
At first, there was a lot of restriction on what material could be metalized. At that time, metallization was only restricted to metallic materials. However, that changed soon with the invention of ABS plastic. The number of feasible substrates increased significantly and non-metals could now be metalized. The number of processes used to metalize substrates also swelled a lot. A German scientist and inventor, Justus von Liebig, is credited with coming up with the metallization process.
The inability of non-metallic objects to conduct electricity or heat presents a problem during metallization. This is because the substrate has to be able to conduct for it to be metalized. The only way to proceed with the process is to make the non-metallic material conductive first. The use of a suitable method to chemically etch the material is one way to make non-metals conductive.
Chemical etching is done using several different methods. One of the methods is to dip the substrate into a mixture of acids, preferably sulfuric and chromic acid. To achieve the required results, the acid mixture needs to be hot. Sensitization and activation of the non-metallic substrate must be done after chemical etching. This is done by dipping the substrate into tin (II) Chloride solution and palladium chloride. After this, the object is coated with electroless nickel or copper.
Before any of the above steps are done, the surface to be metallized must be prepared carefully and thoroughly. Site or surface preparation takes on different forms depending on the kind of surface in question. Surface preparation is necessary in order to improve the bond that is formed between the surface of the substrate and the metal coating applied.
Metalizing serves many different functions when applied properly on a substrate. First, it offers a protective layer over the substrate against corrosion and other elements. A single layer of metal coating can protect a surface for a period of more than thirty years. The duration of protection the layer provides depends on factors such as sealing, coating thickness, and application.
The equipment used for metalizing is specially designed. The equipment has a vacuum chamber within which coating is done. The devices range in size to handle substrates of different sizes. There are also handheld models for coating irregular and abnormally large substrates.
The process of applying metal coatings onto surfaces of objects has a long history. The process can be traced back to the invention of mirrors in 1835. This process was used to make mirrors by coating glass surfaces with metallic silver. At that time, this process was only done in a basic manner. However, with the introduction of better technology, this process is now very sophisticated.
At first, there was a lot of restriction on what material could be metalized. At that time, metallization was only restricted to metallic materials. However, that changed soon with the invention of ABS plastic. The number of feasible substrates increased significantly and non-metals could now be metalized. The number of processes used to metalize substrates also swelled a lot. A German scientist and inventor, Justus von Liebig, is credited with coming up with the metallization process.
The inability of non-metallic objects to conduct electricity or heat presents a problem during metallization. This is because the substrate has to be able to conduct for it to be metalized. The only way to proceed with the process is to make the non-metallic material conductive first. The use of a suitable method to chemically etch the material is one way to make non-metals conductive.
Chemical etching is done using several different methods. One of the methods is to dip the substrate into a mixture of acids, preferably sulfuric and chromic acid. To achieve the required results, the acid mixture needs to be hot. Sensitization and activation of the non-metallic substrate must be done after chemical etching. This is done by dipping the substrate into tin (II) Chloride solution and palladium chloride. After this, the object is coated with electroless nickel or copper.
Before any of the above steps are done, the surface to be metallized must be prepared carefully and thoroughly. Site or surface preparation takes on different forms depending on the kind of surface in question. Surface preparation is necessary in order to improve the bond that is formed between the surface of the substrate and the metal coating applied.
Metalizing serves many different functions when applied properly on a substrate. First, it offers a protective layer over the substrate against corrosion and other elements. A single layer of metal coating can protect a surface for a period of more than thirty years. The duration of protection the layer provides depends on factors such as sealing, coating thickness, and application.
The equipment used for metalizing is specially designed. The equipment has a vacuum chamber within which coating is done. The devices range in size to handle substrates of different sizes. There are also handheld models for coating irregular and abnormally large substrates.
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You can get a summary of important things to keep in mind when choosing a provider of Los Angeles metalizing services at http://www.masterpowdercoating.com right now.
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