Method for forming electroplated coating on surface of article

• US 20040069650A1
• Filed: 08/20/2003
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Metals (Thailand) Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Metals (Thailand) Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoshimura, Kohshi, Kikui, Fumiaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,449,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/164
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/54 Contact plating, i.e. electroless electrochemical plating
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/00 Coating for obtaining at least two superposed coatings either by methods not provided for in a single one of groups C23C2/00 - C23C26/00 or by combinations of methods provided for in subclasses C23C and C25C or C25D
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 1/0578 bonded together
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/026 protecting methods against environmental influences, e.g. oxygen, by surface treatment magnetic particles with skin H01F1/061, H01F1/09, H01F1/24, H01F1/33 and G11B5/706
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/26 using electric currents , e.g. electroplating

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for forming a uniform and dense electroplating film with high adhesion strength on the surface of an article, yet irrespective of the surface material and the surface properties of the article. A means for a solution of the problem comprises: forming on the surface of the article, a resin coating made of a resin containing dispersed therein a powder of a first metal; then forming a second-metal substituted plating film on the surface of the resin coating by immersing the resin-coated article in a solution containing ions of a second metal having an ionization potential nobler than that of the first metal; and further forming an electroplating film of a third metal on the surface of the metal-substituted plating film.

Claims

1. A method for forming an electroplating film on the surface of an article, which comprises:

forming on the surface of the article, a resin coating made of a resin containing dispersed therein a powder of a first metal;

then forming a second-metal substituted plating film on the surface of the resin coating by immersing the resin-coated article in a solution containing ions of a second metal having an ionization potential nobler than that of the first metal; and

further forming an electroplating film of a third metal on the surface of the metal-substituted plating film.

2. A method for forming an electroplating film as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resin coating is a non-conductive coating.

3. A method for forming an electroplating film as claimed in claim 2, wherein the article is a rare earth permanent magnet.

4. A method for forming an electroplating film as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rare earth permanent magnet is a bonded magnet.

5. A method for forming an electroplating film as claimed in claim 2, wherein the volume resistivity of the non-conductive coating is 1×

10⁴ Ω

·

cm or higher.

6. A method for forming an electroplating film as claimed in claim 1, wherein the powder of the first metal is dispersed in the resin coating at a content in a range of from 50 wt % to 99 wt %.

7. A method for forming an electroplating film as claimed in claim 1, wherein the average particle diameter of the powder of the first metal is in a range of from 0.001 μ

m to 30 μ

m.

8. A method for forming an electroplating film as claimed in claim 1, wherein the film thickness of the resin coating is in a range of from 1 μ

m to 100 μ

m.

9. A method for forming an electroplating film as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first metal is zinc and the second metal is nickel or tin.

10. A method for forming an electroplating film as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first metal is nickel and the second metal is copper.

11. A method for forming an electroplating film as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second metal and the third metal are the same.

12. A method for forming an electroplating film as claimed in claim 11, wherein the step of forming the substituted plating film and the step of forming the electroplating film are carried out in the same plating bath.

13. A method for forming an electroplating film as claimed in claim 1, wherein the film thickness of the substituted plating film is in a range of from 0.05 μ

m to 2 μ

m.

14. An article having an electroplating film formed on the surface thereof by the method for forming an electroplating film as claimed in claim 1.

15. A method for forming a substituted plating film on the surface of an article, which comprises:

forming on the surface of the article, a resin coating made of a resin containing dispersed therein a powder of a first metal, and then forming a second-metal substituted plating film on the surface of the resin coating by immersing the resin-coated article in a solution containing ions of a second metal having an ionization potential nobler than that of the first metal.

16. An article having a substituted plating film formed on the surface thereof by the method for forming a substituted plating film as claimed in claim 15.

17. A rare earth permanent magnet having an electroplating film on the surface thereof, which is produced by forming a non-conductive coating on the surface of a rare earth permanent magnet using a resin containing dispersed therein a powder of a first metal;

then forming a second-metal substituted plating film on the surface of the non-conductive coating by immersing the magnet having formed thereon the non-conductive coating in a solution containing ions of a second metal having an ionization potential nobler than that of the first metal; and

further forming an electroplating film of a third metal on the surface of the metal-substituted plating film.

18. A rare earth permanent magnet having an electroplating film on the surface thereof, comprising, formed on the surface of a rare earth permanent magnet, a non-conductive coating made of a resin containing dispersed therein a powder of a first metal, and having further thereon an electroplating film of a third metal, with a substituted plating film of a second metal that is nobler than the first metal interposed between them.

19. A rare earth permanent magnet having a substituted plating film on the surface thereof, comprising, formed on the surface of a rare earth permanent magnet, a non-conductive coating made of a resin containing dispersed therein a powder of a first metal, and having further thereon a substituted plating film of a second metal that is nobler than the first metal.

20. A rare earth permanent magnet having a non-conductive coating on the surface thereof, comprising, formed on the surface of a rare earth permanent magnet, a non-conductive coating made of a resin containing dispersed therein a powder of a first metal.