Plating on Titanium

Plating on titanium has long been considered extremely difficult. For successful plating on titanium, the chosen process must ensure to complete removal of the native oxide before proceeding for plating. Processes of electroless nickel, gold plating, and blackening of electroless nickel on titanium alloys are discussed in the article. Titanium surfaces are always covered by a tenacious titanium oxide film that interferes with the good bonding of plating metal to substrate. The problem is severe when the parts are heat treated. Furthermore, titanium reacts with the oxygen that is produced by many pre-plating processes forming instantaneously a passive oxide film on the underlying substrate. The common alkaline cleaning or acid etching methods are not sufficient to remove it.