PLASMA ENHANCED VAPOR PLATING AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO ELECTROPLATING

HEAVY METALS SUCH AS ZINC, CADMIUM OR CHROMIUM ARE ELECTROPLATED IN 5,300 FACILITIES ACROSS THE U.S. DURING THE PAST TWO DECADES, CONSIDERABLE RESEARCH HAS BEEN CONDUCTED TO REDUCE HAZARDOUS WASTE AND MINIMIZE OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS IN THESE ELECTROPLATING OPERATIONS. HOWEVER, ECONOMICAL ELIMINATION OF TOXIC WASTE OR SLUDGE HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED. IN PURSUIT OF A SOLUTION TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES RELATED TO ELECTROPLATING, A NOVEL PLASMA ENHANCED VAPOR PLATING (DRY PLATING) CONCEPT WAS DEVELOPED IN THE LABORATORY. IN ADDITION TO COMPETITIVE DEPOSITION RATES, THE FEASIBILITY OF ELIMINATING TOXIC CHEMICAL DISCHARGE AND SLUDGE IS DEMONSTRATED USING IN-SITU METAL RECLAIM. HOWEVER, AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE EFFECT OF PROCESS VARIABLES ON THE UNIFORMITY OF DRY PLATING ON COMPLEX SHAPES IS REQUIRED IN APPLIED FIELDS. A SYSTEMATIC RESEARCH USING STATISTICAL DESIGN METHODS HAS BEEN PROPOSED IN THE PHASE I TO DEVELOP THIS UNDERSTANDING. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH COULD LEAD TO AN ENVIRONMENTALLY BENIGN PLATING PROCESS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO TOXIC LIQUID ELECTROPLATING. HEAVY METAL ELECTROPLATING IS WIDELY USED IN THE DEFENSE, AEROSPACE AND AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRIES. THE DRY PLATING METHOD WOULD BE ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFER AND ECONOMICAL FOR PLATING HEAVY METALS AND ALLOYS. IN ADDITION, THIS PROCESS WOULD ELIMINATE HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT OF HIGH STRENGTH STEELS WHICH ARE USED IN CRITICAL DEFENSE SYSTEMS.