Plated material and connecting terminal using same

• US 10,640,880 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oriental Electro Plating Corporation
• Original Assignee: Oriental Electro Plating Corporation
• Inventors: Takahashi, Hiroyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dumbris, Seth
• Application Number:
  US15/837,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20180112322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 3/12 of nickel or cobalt
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 3/30 of tin
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 3/40 from cyanide baths , e.g. with Cu+
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 3/46 of silver
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 3/48 of gold
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 3/50 of platinum group metals
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/12 at least one layer being of nickel or chromium
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/48 After-treatment of electroplated surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/505 of electroplated tin coatings, e.g. by melting
• CPC Class Codes: C25F 1/00 Electrolytic cleaning, degreasing, pickling or descaling
• CPC Class Codes: C25F 5/00 Electrolytic stripping of metallic layers or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/03 characterised by the material, e.g. plating, or coating materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12896 Ag-base component

Abstract

Provided are a plated material having excellent abrasion resistance, electrical conductivity, sliding performance, and low friction, in which a plating layer does not undergo embrittlement properly; and a method for producing the plated material. The method includes a first step of at least partially removing a reflow tin plating layer from a metallic base material having the reflow layer on at least a part thereof and a reactive layer provided at the interface between the reflow layer and the base material; a second step of at least partially subjecting a region in which the reflow tin plating layer has been removed to a nickel plating treatment; a third step of at least partially subjecting the nickel plating layer to a silver strike plating treatment; and a fourth step of at least partially subjecting a region of the silver strike plating to a silver plating treatment.

Claims

1. A plated material, comprising a region where a reflow tin-plated layer has been formed and another region where a silver-plated layer has been formed, on a surface of a metal substrate, respectively, wherein

the silver-plated layer is formed on the surface of the metal substrate via a nickel-plated layer;

the reflow tin-plated layer and the nickel-plated layer are formed on the surface of the metal substrate via a reactive layer, respectively;

the silver-plated layer is metallurgically bonded to the nickel-plated layer;

the nickel-plated layer is metallurgically bonded to the reactive layer;

the reflow tin-plated layer is directly on the reactive layer; and

the reactive layer contains Cu₃Sn.

2. A connecting terminal, comprising the plated material according to claim 1.

3. The connecting terminal according to claim 2, wherein

the outermost surface of a joint requiring abrasion resistance is the reflow tin-plated layer;

and

the outermost surface of a contact part requiring electrical conductivity is the silver-plated layer.