Recent discoveries concerning chemical finishing treatments for plastics have brought about many automotive applications for electroplated plastics. Plated plastic parts as such are not new, having been produced commercially for many years. However, surface deglazing was formerly required to secure plating adhesion. This roughened the surface, resulting in dull-appearing electrodeposits. To obtain lustrous finishes, it was necessary to buff or burnish relatively thick copper electrodeposits. Economics of this process did not favor automotive applications. New chemical surface treatments and improved copper electroplating processes, by eliminating mechanical operations required previously, have led to production of plated plastics at costs competitive with plated metal castings.
