What materials can be coated?
Provided the substrate material is electroplated with a Nickel/Chromium almost any material can be PVD coated. The most common is Brass, Zinc and ABS plastic.
Some materials are not electroplated and the PVD coating is applied directly to the substrate material (Stainless, Titanium, Glass and Aluminum).
What surface finish is required?
The PVD coating will not level or fill like an electroplated finish so surface imperfections will still be visible after the coating process. Polished or mirror surfaces are used to produce PVD polished finishes and brushed or satin surfaces to produce satin or matt PVD finishes.
What is the coating thickness?
The coating thickness is usually between 0.25 microns and 3 microns for decorative finishes. Thicker coatings can be applied for functional coatings.
How hard is the coating?
The lifetime Brass finish is Zirconium Nitride (ZrN) and has a hardness of 2800 Vickers or HRc-80.
What temperature is the part exposed to?
Depending on the substrate material (Zinc, Brass, Steel or Plastic) the process temperature can be controlled from 100 degree Fahrenheit to 400 degree Fahrenheit.
How good is the corrosion protection?
Most of the industry standards are based on neutral salt spray (ASTM B1 19) or CASS (Copper-Accelerated Acetic Acid-Salt Spray)(ASTM-B368).
Zirconium Nitride (ZrN) is the primary finish used for the plumbing industry and has shown to surpass 1200 hours of neutral salt spray and over 150 hours CASS on electroplated brass.
What Colors are available?
Depending on the evaporated metal (target) and the mixture of reactive gases used during the PVD deposition process, different colors can be produced.
The range includes but not limited to: Brass tones, Gold tones, Black to Grey, Silver tones (Nickel, Chrome), Copper and Bronze tones. All these finishes are available in a polished, satin or matt finish.
Our newest finish PVD Oil Rubbed Bronze is the first true “Antique” lifetime finish available in the USA.
