Gold

Gold plating has excellent electrical conductivity, exceptional solderability and does not produce any surface oxide. Gold is a noble metal that does not chemically react under normal conditions. For this reason, gold plating it is an excellent choice for numerous engineering requirements where electrical conductivity (particularly at low voltages), solderability and corrosion resistance are specification requirements.

Elkem offers gold plated wire in both 99.7% cobalt-hardened gold and 99.9% pure soft gold electrodeposits. Hard gold plated wire is commonly used in applications where excessive friction or material wear are a design concern.

Soft gold plated wire is often used where the highest of gold purity is mandatory for soldering, bonding, exposure to high temperature or high corrosion resistance. Wire plated with soft gold provides an extremely pure deposit, which maintains the low hardness and high corrosion resistance characteristics required in demanding applications. Soft gold plating is frequently used in high temperature applications due to the fact that gold does not oxidize.

The appearance of gold plating is very much a function of that of the bare wire. If the bare wire has a matte finish, the gold plating deposit will have more of a matte luster. If the bare wire has a bright finish, the gold plating will have a more lustrous appearance.