Dowa has filed a patent for a method of producing a silver-plated product with improved wear resistance. The method involves using a silver-plating solution containing silver potassium cyanide or silver cyanide, potassium cyanide or sodium cyanide, and a benzothiazole or derivative. The surface layer of silver is formed on a base material through electroplating at specific liquid temperature and current density conditions. The patent claims that the concentration of free cyanide, benzothiazole content, liquid temperature, and current density must meet certain criteria for the desired wear resistance. GlobalData’s report on Dowa gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Dowa, 3D memory devices was a key innovation area identified from patents. Dowa's grant share as of September 2023 was 33%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
A recently filed patent (Publication Number: US20230313402A1) describes a method for producing a silver-plated product. The method involves preparing a silver-plating solution that includes silver potassium cyanide or silver cyanide, potassium cyanide or sodium cyanide, and a benzothiazole or a derivative thereof. The solution is then used to form a surface layer of silver on a base material through electroplating. The conditions for electroplating are specified as (BC/A)2/D=10 (° C.2·dm2/A), where A represents the concentration of free cyanide in the solution, B represents the concentration of benzothiazole or derivative, C represents the liquid temperature, and D represents the current density.
The concentration of free cyanide in the silver-plating solution is recommended to be between 3 and 60 g/L, while the concentration of benzothiazole or derivative should be between 2 and 30 g/L. The concentration of silver in the solution should be between 15 and 85 g/L. The benzothiazole used can be a mercaptobenzothiazole, and the derivative can be an alkali metallic salt, such as a sodium salt. The electroplating process is carried out at a liquid temperature of 15 to 50°C and a current density of 0.5 to 10 A/dm2. The base material for the silver-plated product is preferably copper or a copper alloy, and an underlying layer of nickel can be formed between the base material and the surface layer of silver.
The patent also describes the resulting silver-plated product, which consists of a base material with a surface layer of silver. The surface layer has an average crystallite size of not greater than 25 nm and a Vickers hardness HV of 100 to 160. The Vickers hardness should not exceed 145. The surface layer is composed of silver of 95 to 99% by weight and contains 0.5 to 2% by weight of carbon. The base material can be copper or a copper alloy, and an underlying layer of nickel can be present between the base material and the surface layer. Additionally, the surface layer may contain a benzothiazole content.
In summary, the patent presents a method for producing a silver-plated product using a specific silver-plating solution and electroplating conditions. The resulting product has a surface layer of silver with specific characteristics, including average crystallite size, Vickers hardness, and composition. The method and product have potential applications in various industries that require silver-plated materials.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies
