The Purpose of Gold Plating
Most gold plating is done through electroplating, a process that uses a liquid solution to attach gold ions onto a negatively charged object. Gold plating has many applications, including uses in jewelry, scientific experiments, electronics, industry and dentistry.
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Jewelry
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Jewelry remains a prime reason for gold plating. Gold plating was first used for aesthetic purposes, creating gold jewelry, gold leaflets and plating keepsakes.
Experiments
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Luigi Brugnatelli was the first person to create an electroplating process with the help of Allisandro Volta's voltaic pile. Since then, scientists have experimented with other metals and developed many different liquid solutions.
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Electronics
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Because gold does not oxidize in air and its conductivity stays consistent over time, it is especially useful in the electronics industry. It is used in electrical switch contacts, connector pins and barrels, and other devices that need strong conductivity.
Industrial
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On cars, insignias, emblems, and hood ornaments can be gold plated. Industries like energy, medicine, electronics, aerospace, communications, automobiles and defense have used gold plating for its resistance to corrosion and conductivity.
Dentistry
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Gold plating is sometimes used over stainless steel braces for customers with expensive tastes.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Lenore Edman Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of irina slutsky Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Mike
