HighHigh corrosioncorrosion resistanceresistance platingplating processprocess forfor magnesiummagnesium substratessubstrates

NASFNASF TechnicalTechnical ConferenceConference Cleveland,Cleveland, OHOH AugustAugust 1515th,2007,2007 MagnesiumMagnesium PlatingPlating ProcessProcess

 MagnesiumMagnesium isis thethe metalmetal ofof thethe futurefuture becausebecause ofof engineeringengineering propertiesproperties andand itsits lightlight weightweight character.character.  ItIt isis replacingreplacing zinczinc diedie cast,cast, aluminumaluminum castings,castings, plastics,plastics, andand eveneven carboncarbon fiber.fiber. MagnesiumMagnesium PlatingPlating ProcessProcess

 HistoryHistory ofof MagnesiumMagnesium  WhenWhen II firstfirst waswas approachedapproached aboutabout magnesium,magnesium, byby BillBill GiebelGiebel allall thatthat II couldcould thinkthink ofof isis MAGMAG WHEELS.WHEELS.  DoDo youyou rememberremember MAGMAG WHEELS?WHEELS?  MarkMark KarnerKarner ABQCABQC Milwaukee,WIMilwaukee,WI MagMag WheelsWheels StoryStory

 TheseThese wheelswheels werewere notnot plated!plated!  MotherMother’’ss PolishingPolishing CompoundCompound removedremoved thethe oxidationoxidation andand thenthen wouldwould waxwax thethe wheelswheels  ThisThis wouldwould bebe donedone everyevery twotwo weeksweeks otherwiseotherwise pittingpitting wouldwould occuroccur  InIn winterwinter youyou changechange toto youryour stockstock tirestires andand thethe magmag wheelswheels wouldwould gogo inin thethe basementbasement withwith beesbees waxwax onon themthem WhyWhy magnesiummagnesium asas aa substrate?substrate?

 ThinnerThinner wallwall castingscastings 0.080.08 inchesinches whichwhich makesmakes forfor aa strongerstronger partpart yetyet lighterlighter partpart  DiesDies lastlast 22--33 timestimes longerlonger thanthan aluminumaluminum  SavesSaves castingcasting energyenergy costscosts oneone poundpound ofof MgMg 18001800 BTUBTU’’ss andand ALAL 25002500 BTUBTU’’ss WhyWhy magnesium?magnesium?

 LowerLower castingcasting pressurespressures forfor MgMg vs.vs. AlAl  EasierEasier toto machinemachine MgMg 500,500, ALAL 300,300, andand B1112B1112 steelsteel 100.100.  LongerLonger tooltool lifelife decreasingdecreasing toolingtooling costscosts

MagnesiumMagnesium vs.vs. ZincZinc

 OneOne poundpound ofof magnesiummagnesium costscosts $1.21/pound.$1.21/pound. ToTo castcast thethe samesame areaarea ofof zinczinc diedie castcast youyou wouldwould needneed 3.63.6 poundspounds ofof zinczinc diedie cast.cast. AA costcost ofof $0.495/pound$0.495/pound equalsequals $1.782$1.782 totaltotal cost,cost, thereforetherefore youyou willwill savesave aboutabout 32%,32%, plusplus savesave 2.62.6 poundspounds inin weight.weight. (numbers(numbers asas ofof thethe datedate ofof thethe submission)submission) WhatWhat isis holdingholding backback magnesium?magnesium?

 FinishingFinishing itit toto achieveachieve aa coatingcoating likelike onon zinczinc diecastdiecast andand aluminumaluminum castings.castings.  CorrosionCorrosion protectionprotection andand bakebake adhesionadhesion teststests results.results.  PresentPresent processesprocesses useuse cyanidecyanide coppercopper andand electrolesselectroless nickelnickel processes.processes. CyanideCyanide coppercopper processprocess

1. SoakSoak CleanClean 2. RinseRinse 3. AcidAcid ActivationActivation 4. RinseRinse 5. ZincateZincate 6. RinseRinse 7. CyanideCyanide StrikeStrike 8. CyanideCyanide PlatePlate 9. RemainderRemainder ofof nickel/chromenickel/chrome processprocess CyanideCyanide CopperCopper

CyanideCyanide coppercopper hashas twotwo challengeschallenges

1) CorrosionCorrosion protectionprotection isis lessless thanthan processprocess proposedproposed 2) TheThe futurefuture ofof cyanide.cyanide. HomelandHomeland SecuritySecurity hashas listedlisted sodiumsodium andand potassiumpotassium cyanidecyanide asas oneone ofof thethe potentialpotential terroriststerrorists chemicalschemicals onon AppendixAppendix A.A. CyanideCyanide CopperCopper

IfIf youyou havehave 20002000 poundspounds ofof aa cyanidecyanide compoundcompound atat youryour facilityfacility youyou willwill needneed toto havehave toto performperform securitysecurity planplan accordingaccording toto youryour tier.tier. ChinaChina’’ss federalfederal governmentgovernment hashas askedasked finishersfinishers toto getget outout ofof cyanidecyanide platingplating processes.processes. ElectrolessElectroless NickelNickel

 1.1. SoakSoak CleanClean  2.2. RinseRinse  3.3. AcidAcid ActivationActivation  4.4. RinseRinse  5.5. ZincateZincate  6.6. RinseRinse  7.7. ElectrolessElectroless NickelNickel  8.8. RinseRinse  9.9. AcidAcid Copper,Copper, Nickel,Nickel, andand ChromeChrome ElectrolessElectroless NickelNickel

 DefenseDefense industryindustry isis lookinglooking forfor aa highhigh corrosioncorrosion resistance.resistance.  PresentPresent resultsresults areare 4848--9696 hourshours saltsalt sprayspray usingusing EN.EN.  HighHigh costscosts ofof nickelnickel metal.metal. AlkalineAlkaline nonnon cyanidecyanide coppercopper processprocess

 TheThe standardstandard nonnon cyanidecyanide coppercopper processprocess diddid notnot workwork onon thethe magnesiummagnesium process.process.  AA reformulationreformulation inin thethe processprocess thatthat improvesimproves adhesionadhesion andand thethe saltsalt sprayspray hours.hours. AlkalineAlkaline nonnon cyanidecyanide coppercopper processprocess advantagesadvantages

 TighterTighter graingrain structurestructure thanthan cyanidecyanide coppercopper allowsallows itit toto bebe usedused asas aa heatheat treattreat stopstop offoff toto replacereplace cyanidecyanide copper.copper.  LowerLower pHpH valuevalue ofof alkalinealkaline nonnon cyanidecyanide coppercopper solutionsolution isis 9.49.4--9.89.8 versusversus cyanidecyanide coppercopper 10.310.3--11.511.5  ZincateZincate forfor magnesiummagnesium hashas lowlow pHpH 10.210.2-- 10.610.6 AlkalineAlkaline NonNon CyanideCyanide ProcessProcess

 1. Soak Clean  2. Rinse  3. Acid Activation  4. Rinse  5. Zincate  6. Rinse  7. Alkaline non cyanide copper  8. Rinse  9. Acid Copper  10.Buff Acid Copper  11.Nickel and Chrome plating AlkalineAlkaline nonnon cyanidecyanide coppercopper processprocess

 SoakSoak CleanerCleaner  FirstFirst thoughtthought isis thatthat aluminumaluminum cleanercleaner cancan bebe used.used.  HighHigh causticcaustic cleanercleaner withwith outout silicatesilicate doesdoes notnot etchetch magnesiummagnesium likelike itit doesdoes aluminum.aluminum. AlkalineAlkaline nonnon cyaindecyainde coppercopper processprocess

 AcidAcid ActivationActivation  ProprietaryProprietary ProcessProcess thatthat removesremoves thethe oxidesoxides andand preparesprepares thethe magnesiummagnesium forfor thethe zincatezincate process.process. AlkalineAlkaline nonnon cyanidecyanide coppercopper processprocess

 ZincateZincate  pHpH 10.010.0 --10.810.8  TemperatureTemperature 150150--180180 FF  ImmersionImmersion TimeTime 55--1010 minutesminutes  FilteringFiltering extendsextends bathbath lifelife AlkalineAlkaline nonnon cyanidecyanide coppercopper processprocess

 AlkalineAlkaline nonnon cyanidecyanide coppercopper  MinimumMinimum thicknessthickness 0.50.5 milsmils (30(30--4040 minutes)minutes)  HigherHigher thicknessthickness ofof alkalinealkaline coppercopper doesdoes improveimprove corrosioncorrosion protectionprotection andand allowsallows toto bakebake thethe partpart atat 350F350F withwith upup toto 1.01.0 milmil thicknessthickness (60(60--7070 minutes)minutes) AlkalineAlkaline nonnon cyanidecyanide coppercopper processprocess

 AcidAcid CopperCopper PlatingPlating ofof twotwo milsmils andand thenthen polishingpolishing thethe platedplated magnesiummagnesium partpart improvesimproves thethe appearanceappearance ofof thethe partpart  OpportunityOpportunity forfor improvementimprovement inin castingscastings ChallengesChallenges forfor magnesiummagnesium

CastingCasting qualityquality needsneeds toto bebe improvedimproved forfor decorativedecorative appearanceappearance standardsstandards UseUse magnesiummagnesium buffingbuffing compoundscompounds notnot aluminumaluminum buffingbuffing compoundscompounds VaporVapor degreasingdegreasing seemsseems toto workwork betterbetter thanthan alkalinealkaline sprayspray washerswashers BiggestBiggest ChallengeChallenge

 UnpolishedUnpolished surfaces,surfaces, forfor exampleexample thethe backback ofof thethe partpart thatthat isis notnot seenseen byby thethe eye,eye, seemseem toto resultresult inin SwissSwiss CheeseCheese effect.effect.  AreasAreas thatthat areare polishedpolished exhibitexhibit acceptableacceptable cosmeticcosmetic finishfinish andand excellentexcellent saltsalt sprayspray results.results. WhatWhat’’ss next?next?

 TheThe goalgoal isis toto getget thethe OEM,OEM, metalmetal finisher,finisher, buffingbuffing compoundcompound supplier,supplier, chemistrychemistry suppliersupplier andand castingcasting suppliersupplier workwork togethertogether toto makemake thisthis happen.happen. SaltSalt SpraySpray ResultsResults

 MagnesiumMagnesium w/w/ AlkalineAlkaline nonnon cyanidecyanide copper,copper, acidacid copper,copper, brightbright nickel,nickel, andand chromechrome provideprovide upup toto 9696-- 120120 hourshours ofof saltsalt spray.spray.  MagnesiumMagnesium w/w/ alkalinealkaline coppercopper andand highhigh phosphos electrolesselectroless nickelnickel achievedachieved 400400 hourshours ofof saltsalt spray.spray. ThanksThanks toto

 BillBill GeibelGeibel ofof LinetecLinetec inin Wausau,Wausau, WIWI

 InfoInfo onon magnesiummagnesium gogo toto www.magnesium.comwww.magnesium.com