COMPLEX PROFILE ELECTROPLATING PRODUCTS USING GALLIUM AS A MODEL MATERIAL

The article deals with the possibility of using galvanoplastic technology for manufacturing large-size exclusive designer accessories for clothing, haberdashery and footwear. The use for electrochemical formation of the metal layer of the widespread sulfuric acid electrolyte of copper plating reduces the cost of the process, and the subsequent deco-rating of the surface is possible with the use of conversion, metal gal-vanic coatings, hot and cold enamels, nanoceramics. The possibility of using fusible gallium for the fabrica-tion of complex-profile conductive models for electroplating at further positive and negative metal buildup is experimentally proved. The features of the technological process of positive and negative build-up of copper layer are considered. It is shown that the use of liquid gallium has a number of peculiarities connected with rather high viscosity and density, significant surface tension, poor wetting of the mold surface, increasing reactivity with air and water at temperature growth.