Conductivity

You want to create conductivity on non-conductive objects? Discover our professional conductive varnishes now!

Our conductive lacquers enable you to metallise non-conductive objects made of glass, wood, plastic and many more. You only need to be careful with surfaces made of lime or calcium, such as shells or similar, as these are dissolved by the acid the liquids contain during electroplating. During the process, a metallic base layer is created by the lacquer, which first of all ensures that the non-conductive surface becomes a metallic surface. In the next step, acidic bright copper electrolyte is used in the galvanic bath to create final conductivity and seal the surface, provided that the conductive copper lacquer has been applied evenly without pores and holes. In this way, you have established conductivity on your object made of plastic or organic material and also have the option of using this as a basis for future electroplating of the object. With the help of this process, you can, for example, apply a metallic coating to 3D prints yourself or immortalise your favourite object made from organic material. The products can then be selectively or extensively silver-plated, palladium-plated or gold-plated in a final step. This application and the associated products are the basic prerequisite for the electroforming process, i.e. the deposition of a growing metal layer on any model object.

Copper conductive varnish

The copper conductive lacquer is a cheap and reliable alternative for creating a conductive layer. It is used on many objects made of glass, plastics or organic materials like flowers. After preparing the underlying material, a copper coating can be created either with the spray by spraying or with the liquid agent from the can by brushing on. The copper conductive lacquer from the can can be diluted with acetone if necessary. To optimise the conductivity of the workpiece, the object must then be treated with acidic bright copper electrolyte, ideally in an electroplating bath. Afterwards, the object can be further coated as desired. [Go to copper conductive varnish]

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Silver conductive varnish

Our conductive silver lacquer is another coating alternative. After simple spraying in a cross process, the highly conductive shielding lacquer can be coated directly via pin or bath electroplating. To achieve brilliant results, we recommend an intermediate galvanic step with acidic copper electrolyte for the silver conductive lacquer as well.

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Valuable Tips

Always ensure that the surface of the workpiece is clean, degreased and roughened to increase the adhesion of the lacquers.
For mirror-like results, we recommend careful sanding with sandpaper from rough to fine and a light polish before all steps.
Make sure that you can paint all parts of the object without any problems. Only when the surface is painted completely metal can be deposited later.
Allow the conductive lacquer to dry sufficiently before carrying out further electroplating steps.

Frequently asked questions

Can non-conductive materials such as 3D-prints be electroplated?

Yes, this is possible with the help of our conductive copper varnish. The object is sprayed or brushed with copper conductive paint or copper conductive lacquer spray, which first creates a metallic layer. The object is then given its final conductivity in a galvanic bath with acidic bright copper electrolyte. This creates a continuous, conductive copper layer that can then be further treated like any other copper layer, e.g. by silver plating.

Can the Rust Piranha rust remover be painted over?

Rust Piranha can normally be painted over or treated further. However, please check on an inconspicuous spot whether the rust converter is compatible with your paint colour.

Can silver gel and Silver Star be used on silver?

Our products for electroless silver plating only deposit on copper and brass as a base, as the products can only deposit silver with these materials. Accordingly, the products for electroless silver plating can NOT be deposited on silver. If copper or brass are coated, a thin silver layer of 200 - 300 nm is produced, which is intended for decorative purposes only. If you want a thicker silver layer on your object, the only process left is electroplating!

Can silver be gold-plated with Goldstar?

No, unfortunately that is not possible with these products.

Can aluminium be gold-plated with TIFOO products?

In principle, it is possible to gold-plate some aluminium alloys with the Gold Star, but so far this only works with a few compositions. The success of the application can therefore not be guaranteed for all aluminium alloys.

How does the pre-treatment work in yellow chromating?

The zinc object must be clean and free of residues such as dirt, oil or particles. The object is then degreased, e.g. with the TIFOO Galvano Degreaser. Depending on the size, the object is immersed in the yellow chromate for a few minutes. 3 minutes is a good guideline.