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.
One of the processes used for chemical etching is to dip the material into a mixture of acids, usually chromic acid and sulfuric acid. The mixture of acids must be hot in order for the required results to be achieved. After chemical etching, the surface must be activated and sensitized before being coated using electroless nickel or copper. Sensitization and activation is often done by dipping in a solution of tin (II) Chloride followed by palladium chloride.
The processes described above are only done after the substrate is well prepared in a process called site preparation. The kind of methods used for site or surface preparation depends on the nature of the substrate. Surface preparation is done so that the bond formed between the metal coat and the object can be stronger and long-lasting.
The metal coat that is applied onto substrates has several different functions. One of the purposes is to protect surfaces against corrosion by various elements. According to research findings, protection against corrosion can be provided for over 30 years by a single layer if well applied. This duration is dependent on factors such as the thickness of the coating, application method, and sealing.
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.
One of the processes used for chemical etching is to dip the material into a mixture of acids, usually chromic acid and sulfuric acid. The mixture of acids must be hot in order for the required results to be achieved. After chemical etching, the surface must be activated and sensitized before being coated using electroless nickel or copper. Sensitization and activation is often done by dipping in a solution of tin (II) Chloride followed by palladium chloride.
The processes described above are only done after the substrate is well prepared in a process called site preparation. The kind of methods used for site or surface preparation depends on the nature of the substrate. Surface preparation is done so that the bond formed between the metal coat and the object can be stronger and long-lasting.
The metal coat that is applied onto substrates has several different functions. One of the purposes is to protect surfaces against corrosion by various elements. According to research findings, protection against corrosion can be provided for over 30 years by a single layer if well applied. This duration is dependent on factors such as the thickness of the coating, application method, and sealing.
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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