This specification establishes the requirements for electrodeposited silver coatings that may be mat, bright, or semibright, and are usually employed as solderable surfaces and for their electrical contact characteristics, high electrical and thermal conductivity, thermocompression bonding, wear resistance on load-bearing surfaces, and spectral reflectivity. Coatings shall be classified into types according to minimum purity, grade according to surface appearance (bright, semibright, or mat), and class according to whether any surface treatment has been applied. Coatings shall undergo preplating operations such as stress relief treatment, strike, and underplating, as well as post-plating embrittlement relief. Coatings shall be sampled, tested, and conform accordingly to specified requirements as to nature, purity, appearance, defects, adhesion, solderability, hardness, spectral reflectance, electrical conductivity, hydrogen embrittlement relief, and thickness (measured either nondestructively by beta backscatter, X-ray spectrometry, or magnetic method, or destructively by coulometric technique or microscopical cross-sectioning procedure).

This abstract is a brief summary of the referenced standard. It is informational only and not an official part of the standard; the full text of the standard itself must be referred to for its use and application. ASTM does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents of this abstract are accurate, complete or up to date.

1. Scope

1.1 This specification covers requirements for electrodeposited coatings of silver used for engineering purposes that may be mat, bright, or semibright and are not less than 98 % silver purity.

1.2 Coatings of silver covered by this specification are usually employed for solderable surfaces, electrical contact characteristics, high electrical and thermal conductivity, thermocompression bonding, wear resistance of load-bearing surfaces, and spectral reflectivity.

1.3 In the Appendixes important characteristics of electrodeposited silver coatings are briefly described which must be considered when used in engineering applications, namely electrical conductivity (see Appendix X1), silver migration (see Appendix X2), thickness (see Appendix X3), hardness (see Appendix X4), and atmospheric tarnish (see Appendix X5).

1.4 The following hazards caveat pertains only to the test methods section of this specification: This standard does not purport to address the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.

ASTM Standards

B183 Practice for Preparation of Low-Carbon Steel for Electroplating

B242 Guide for Preparation of High-Carbon Steel for Electroplating

B252 Guide for Preparation of Zinc Alloy Die Castings for Electroplating and Conversion Coatings

B253 Guide for Preparation of Aluminum Alloys for Electroplating

B254 Practice for Preparation of and Electroplating on Stainless Steel

B281 Practice for Preparation of Copper and Copper-Base Alloys for Electroplating and Conversion Coatings

B322 Guide for Cleaning Metals Prior to Electroplating

B343 Practice for Preparation of Nickel for Electroplating with Nickel

B374 Terminology Relating to Electroplating

B481 Practice for Preparation of Titanium and Titanium Alloys for Electroplating

B482 Practice for Preparation of Tungsten and Tungsten Alloys for Electroplating

B487 Test Method for Measurement of Metal and Oxide Coating Thickness by Microscopical Examination of Cross Section

B499 Test Method for Measurement of Coating Thicknesses by the Magnetic Method: Nonmagnetic Coatings on Magnetic Basis Metals

B504 Test Method for Measurement of Thickness of Metallic Coatings by the Coulometric Method

B507 Practice for Design of Articles to Be Electroplated on Racks

B542 Terminology Relating to Electrical Contacts and Their Use

B567 Test Method for Measurement of Coating Thickness by the Beta Backscatter Method

B568 Test Method for Measurement of Coating Thickness by X-Ray Spectrometry

B571 Practice for Qualitative Adhesion Testing of Metallic Coatings

B578 Test Method for Microhardness of Electroplated Coatings

B579 Specification for Electrodeposited Coatings of Tin-Lead Alloy (Solder Plate)

B602 Test Method for Attribute Sampling of Metallic and Inorganic Coatings

B678 Test Method for Solderability of Metallic-Coated Products

B697 Guide for Selection of Sampling Plans for Inspection of Electrodeposited Metallic and Inorganic Coatings

B762 Test Method of Variables Sampling of Metallic and Inorganic Coatings

B849 Specification for Pre-Treatments of Iron or Steel for Reducing Risk of Hydrogen Embrittlement

B850 Guide for Post-Coating Treatments of Steel for Reducing the Risk of Hydrogen Embrittlement

D3951 Practice for Commercial Packaging

E1004 Test Method for Determining Electrical Conductivity Using the Electromagnetic (Eddy-Current) Method

F519 Test Method for Mechanical Hydrogen Embrittlement Evaluation of Plating/Coating Processes and Service Environments

Keywords

Electrodeposited Ag coatings--specifications; Engineered electrodeposited coatings--specifications; Silver (electrodeposited)--specifications;

ICS Code

ICS Number Code 25.220.40 (Metallic coatings)

Citing ASTM Standards

[Back to Top]