Technical Data
Gold is often seen as a luxurious material that is reserved for expensive and beautiful jewelry. Although gold is highly prized for its aesthetic beauty, it also has many characteristics that make it a great option for work in electronic devices (especially for plating wire). Gold is more expensive than other similar materials, but the cost is often justified because of gold’s functional purposes.
Why should you pay for gold when no one sees it?
Gold plating is often unseen because it is covered or placed inside an enclosed device. Using gold as a plating material adds protection against heat, corrosion, and wear. Not only that, but gold also creates a strong and reliable electrical connection. If a device often suffers from fretting, gold is an appropriate option for plating. Gold, unlike most other commonly used plating metals, is not susceptible to fretting. Most electronic devices experience some fretting, which is the slow wearing away of contact surfaces because of friction and rubbing.
What are the best applications for gold plating?
Gold plating is a great option for semiconductor parts and other similar components. If you are working with reflector arrays or reflector rings, gold plating is an ideal choice. This is the case because gold reflects high amounts of UV (when below 0.35 µm). In wavelengths that exceed 0.7 µm, gold can reflect infrared radiation. The benefit of reflecting Infrared radiation is that it keeps electronics cool.