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Thursday, 6th November 2008 (6309 views)

Researchers in Japan have developed a novel way to complete cyan-free electroless gold plating of materials.

The breakthrough has implications for the manufacturing of electronic devices such as circuit boards, car parts and office equipment.

Gold-plated films such as the type developed by the Japanese team are attractive due to their "excellent" electrical conductivity, low-contact resistance, solderability, light reflection, and resistance to corrosion and abrasion, the scientists noted.

The work was carried out by a team from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology.

Using the electroless method - where gold is deposited onto complex-shaped structures without the use of electricity - the researchers were able to coat the shapes in gold without the use of cyanide, used in traditional methods.

This led to a more environmentally-friendly way of creating the gold films.

Recently, a green way of creating gold nanoparticles was developed by using soya beans and water.

 

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