A decorative work piece or component, such as a decorative automotive trim component, and method for plating a work piece is provided. An electroless layer of material is applied to the work piece using an electroless plating process. A barrier in electrical conductivity is provided on the work piece to divide the work piece into a first segment and a second segment which are substantially electrically insulated from one another, prior to electroplating the work piece. A plurality of methods are disclosed for dividing the work piece into the first and second segments. The component includes different surface finishes on each of the electrically isolated segments, with the finishes having different appearance, gloss level, color, and/or distinction of image as a result of electroplating and without post-electroplating mechanical alteration and assembly.

A method for producing a black plated resin part includes the steps of electroplating a resin substrate provided with an underlying plating layer in a trivalent chromium plating bath containing thiocyanic acid, to thereby form, on the underlying plating layer, a black chromium plating layer composed of trivalent chromium and having a thickness of 0.15 μm or more; and immersing the resin substrate provided with the black chromium plating layer in warm water at 30° C. or higher for a predetermined time. In the method, the amount of thiocyanic acid contained in the trivalent chromium plating bath, the temperature of the warm water, and the time of immersion of the resin substrate in the warm water are adjusted so that the black chromium plating layer exhibits a b* value of −1.7 or less based on the L*a*b* color system.

A method for producing a black plated resin part includes the steps of electroplating a resin substrate provided with an underlying plating layer in a trivalent chromium plating bath containing thiocyanic acid, to thereby form, on the underlying plating layer, a black chromium plating layer composed of trivalent chromium and having a thickness of 0.15 μm or more; and immersing the resin substrate provided with the black chromium plating layer in warm water at 30° C. or higher for a predetermined time. In the method, the amount of thiocyanic acid contained in the trivalent chromium plating bath, the temperature of the warm water, and the time of immersion of the resin substrate in the warm water are adjusted so that the black chromium plating layer exhibits a b* value of −1.7 or less based on the L*a*b* color system.

A terminal material for a connector provided with a base material in which at least a surface layer is made of copper or copper alloy, a nickel-plating layer made of nickel or nickel alloy and formed on a surface of the base material, a silver-nickel alloy plating layer made of silver-nickel alloy and formed on at least a part of the nickel-plating layer, and a silver-plating layer made of silver and formed on the silver-nickel alloy plating layer; the silver-nickel alloy plating layer has a film thickness 0.05 .Math.m or more and less than 0.50 .Math.m and a nickel content 0.03 at% or more and 1.00 at% or less.

A method for metallizing plastic by pre-plating for electroplating, forming a metal bonding layer and a metal transition layer using electro arc ion plating or magnetron sputtering in series, and then forming a metal conductive layer on the metal transition layer using the electro arc ion plating. At least forming the metal conductive layer comprises: disposing a magnetic filter device between a metal target and a vacuum chamber in which the plastic workpiece is placed, so that positively charged metal ions generated by the metal target are deflected by the magnetic filter device and then enter the vacuum chamber to be deposited on the surface of the plastic workpiece.

A method for post-treatment of a chromium finish surface to improve corrosion resistance comprising a) providing a substrate having a chromium finish surface, and at least one intermediate layer between the chromium finish surface and the substrate, selected from the group consisting of nickel, nickel alloys, copper and copper alloys, wherein the chromium finish surface is a surface of a trivalent chromium plated layer, obtained by electroplating the substrate, having the at least one intermediate layer, in a plating bath, the plating bath comprising chromium (III) ions; b) contacting the chromium finish surface with an aqueous solution, comprising a permanganate, at least one compound which is selected from a phosphorus-oxygen compound, a hydroxide, a nitrate, a borate, boric acid, a silicate, or a mixture of two or more of these compounds; c) forming a transparent corrosion protection layer onto the chromium finish surface during step b.

A surface treated copper foil 1 includes a copper foil 2, and a first surface treatment layer 3 formed on one surface of the copper foil 2. The first surface treatment layer 3 of the surface treated copper foil 1 has a root mean square gradient of roughness curve elements RΔq according to JIS B0601:2013 of 5 to 28°. A copper clad laminate 10 includes the surface treated copper foil 1 and an insulating substrate 11 adhered to the first surface treatment layer 3 of the surface treated copper foil 1.

A diffusion barrier coating on a nickel-based alloy substrate comprising the diffusion barrier being coupled to the substrate between the substrate and a composite material opposite the substrate, wherein the diffusion barrier comprises a nickel phosphorus alloy material.

A Ni-coated steel sheet according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a base steel sheet; a diffusion alloy layer disposed on the base steel sheet; and a Ni-coated layer disposed on the diffusion alloy layer, in which a depth-hardness curve obtained by continuously performing Vickers hardness measurement on a cross section perpendicular to a rolled surface of the base steel sheet from a surface layer of the Ni-coated layer to the base steel sheet using a nanoindenter includes, in the diffusion alloy layer, a peak indicating a Vickers hardness of 1.50 times or more a Vickers hardness of the surface layer of the Ni-coated layer.

A Ni-coated steel sheet according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a base steel sheet; a diffusion alloy layer disposed on the base steel sheet; and a Ni-coated layer disposed on the diffusion alloy layer, in which a depth-hardness curve obtained by continuously performing Vickers hardness measurement on a cross section perpendicular to a rolled surface of the base steel sheet from a surface layer of the Ni-coated layer to the base steel sheet using a nanoindenter includes, in the diffusion alloy layer, a peak indicating a Vickers hardness of 1.50 times or more a Vickers hardness of the surface layer of the Ni-coated layer.