Aluminium and its alloys are interesting for many applications because they are very light, cheap, and unlimitedly recyclable. Despite being a promising base material for the fashion-jewellery sector, their tendency to form a passivating film makes them difficult to be galvanized, even more when recycled aluminium contains impurities of refractory elements. Indeed, the most common processes for galvanising aluminium are often expensive and not environmentally sustainable because they involve the use of cyanides. In this work we focussed on the pre-treatments and electroplating on Al6082 aluminium which is largely used for fashion-jewellery applications. The objective of the present study was to assess whether Al6082 series aluminium is suitable a as base material for the fashion market; therefore, we investigated the effectiveness of plating pre-treatments and the success of electroless zinc deposition using an innovative alkaline cyanide-free zincate solution. After the electroplating, adhesion between the deposited layers was evaluated both with cross-sectional scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis as well as with an adhesion evaluation test (ISO2819:2018): no detachments confirmed the positive test outcomes and thereby highlighted that Al6082 can be exploited as base material in the fashion-jewellery market.

Pulsed current has proven to be a promising alternative to direct current in electrochemical deposition, offering numerous advantages regarding deposit quality and properties. Concerning the electrodeposition of metal alloys, the role of pulsed current techniques may vary depending on the specific metals involved. We studied an innovative tin–ruthenium electroplating bath used as an anti-corrosive layer for decorative applications. The bath represents a more environmentally and economically viable alternative to nickel and palladium formulations. The samples obtained using both direct and pulsed currents were analyzed using various techniques to observe any differences in thickness, color, composition, and morphology of the deposits depending on the pulsed current waveform used for deposition.

The interest in scientific research in the metal-finishing sre is constantly growing. The market demand for durable metal coatings and adaptable manufacturing processes is increasing across a wide range of applications, from aerospace and automotive to machinery and jewelry. An essential step in the production line is the surface engineering of metal deposition, as this determines the final appearance and functionality of the final industrial/handcrafted product. Therein electroplating is recognized as a mature technology allowing for the low-cost fabrication of well-defined surfaces, with extensive property profiles. Galvanic electrodeposition accounts today for almost 40% of the global market value share of the metal-coating market, with North America and Western Europe leading the scenery. Although technological and processing advancements occurred in the past forty years, industrial firms are still struggling to provide solutions to corrosion protection as well as the reduction of toxic wastes. Specifically, large-scale industrialization of electroplating techniques will continue to be limited by strict environmental regulations. Environemental rules and regulations got more and more strict, and sustanability issues will further push for more restrictions concerning the industrial impact on the environment. Due to adverse ecological implications, the adoption of plating processes involving toxic metals such as lead or cadmium is prohibited. Moreover, price volatility of the highly demanding electroplated materials gold, copper, and nickel is expected to impact the market share by more than 60% by 2026. In that respect, alloy plating offers better answers in terms of economic growth and environmental sustainability, allowing for fine-tuning composition, morphology, and crystallinity [1]. In this paper, current trends in alloy electrodeposition research are reviewed highlighting open challenges and process innovations from an industrial perspective. The main categories of alloy compounds are presented, and the most important characteristics of the manufacturing process are critically discussed. With particular focus on advances in industrial quality-control and viable solutions for the reduction of precious metal content in electroplated accessories, as well as the replacement of cyanide and nickel baths with processes featuring non-toxic compounds. In particular, the use of pulsed currents, new alloy formulation acting as a barrier layer and the reduction of defective pieces are the novel strategies/solutions to increase the sustainability of production processes in the electroplating industries. References [1] W. Giurlani, M. Innocenti et all. , Electroplating for Decorative Applications: Recent Trends in Research and Development, Review, Coatings 2018, 8(8), 260.