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Silver Plating

Electroplating & electroless plating · Electrolytic bath

Silver plating provides the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of common plated metals.

CNC machiningSheet metalHigh cost $$$$Conductive
Quote a part with Silver plateCompare electroplating & electroless plating
Silver Plating on a machined part

What is Silver plate?

ASTM B700 covers engineering electrodeposited silver on conductive substrates.

How it works

Activated parts are cathodically plated from a silver electrolyte, commonly over a copper or nickel strike. Current distribution controls local thickness, so contacts, edges, and recesses need rack and anode planning. Antitarnish treatments may follow, but they must not compromise contact resistance or solderability. Silver remains conductive after surface tarnish, although appearance and low-level contact behavior can change. Deposit hardness can be adjusted for sliding contacts, while high-purity soft silver is retained where conductivity dominates.

Why specify it

  • Excellent electrical and thermal conductivity
  • Typical 5–20 µm engineering thickness
  • Good solderability and high-current contact performance
  • Low contact resistance

Where it falls short

  • Tarnishes in sulfur-bearing atmospheres
  • Migrates under electrical bias in moist contamination
  • Soft deposit wears without adequate thickness
  • Silver cost and theft controls increase processing cost

Silver plate at a glance

Silver plate is strongest on cosmetic quality (72 of 100), at a high cost.

Corrosion protectionGood55 / 100
Surface hardnessFair39 / 100
Cosmetic qualityVery good72 / 100
LubricityFair42 / 100
Relative costHigh82 / 100
CorrosionHardnessCosmeticLubricityEconomy

Each score is 0–100 against every finish in this catalog. Corrosion comes from salt-spray life (ASTM B117, log scale) and hardness from the finish layer's Vickers or pencil hardness; cosmetic, lubricity and cost are FabDigit's engineering assessment. Economy on the radar is the inverse of cost.

Silver plate key numbers

Typical values from the governing specifications and shop practice; bars are this finish against the highest value among electroplating & electroless plating finishes.

Thickness5–20 µm0.2–0.79 mil
Hardness60–200 HV
Thickness
5–10 µm for general contacts; 10–20 µm for wear or high-current service
Hardness
60–200 HV — Pure silver is soft; hardened silver deposits vary by alloy and process.
Electrical
Conductive
Colours
  • silver
Appearance
Bright white metallic when fresh; darkens or yellows with sulfur tarnish.

Where Silver plate sits among all finishes

Surface hardness (Vickers, log scale) against corrosion protection (salt-spray hours, log scale) for every coating FabDigit offers, one cloud per finish group. Silver plate is highlighted; hover a dot for its name or open the full map.

02550751000255075100Corrosion protection (0–100)Surface hardness (HV, log scale, 0–100)Plating — 19 finishesHard coatings — 17 finishesAnodize & conversion — 8 finishesPaint & powder — 7 finisheshard, low corrosion protectionhard and protectiveprotective, softsoft, little protectionType II anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 54BSA anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 52Type I anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 49Hard anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 61PTFE hard anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 61Nitriding — corrosion 55, hardness 73PEO — corrosion 70, hardness 74Sherardizing — corrosion 83, hardness 56Brass plate — corrosion 35, hardness 44Bronze plate — corrosion 40, hardness 49Cadmium plate — corrosion 70, hardness 26Copper plate — corrosion 32, hardness 39Decorative chrome — corrosion 64, hardness 71Electroless copper — corrosion 20, hardness 41Electroless nickel — corrosion 70, hardness 68Nickel plate — corrosion 51, hardness 55Gold plate — corrosion 68, hardness 39Hard chrome — corrosion 40, hardness 73Hot-dip zinc — corrosion 90, hardness 42Nickel-PTFE — corrosion 72, hardness 57Solder plate — corrosion 42, hardness 9Tin plate — corrosion 34, hardness 0Zinc plate — corrosion 60, hardness 30Zinc-nickel — corrosion 86, hardness 60Cerakote — corrosion 83, hardness 27E-coat — corrosion 83, hardness 15Epoxy coat — corrosion 83, hardness 15Powder coat — corrosion 83, hardness 14Wet paint — corrosion 59, hardness 10AlCrN PVD — corrosion 58, hardness 93AlTiN PVD — corrosion 52, hardness 94CrN PVD — corrosion 62, hardness 83DLC — corrosion 55, hardness 93MoS2 PVD — corrosion 20, hardness 26TiAlN PVD — corrosion 50, hardness 93TiCN PVD — corrosion 40, hardness 92TiB2 PVD — corrosion 40, hardness 94TiN PVD — corrosion 45, hardness 87WC/C PVD — corrosion 48, hardness 77ZrN PVD — corrosion 52, hardness 90CVD alumina — corrosion 70, hardness 85CVD TiCN — corrosion 38, hardness 92CVD TiN — corrosion 45, hardness 87Multilayer CVD — corrosion 62, hardness 88HVOF coating — corrosion 78, hardness 77Plasma spray — corrosion 60, hardness 68Plastic chrome — corrosion 72, hardness 71Electroless plastic — corrosion 58, hardness 39Clear coat — corrosion 20, hardness 12Soft-touch — corrosion 20, hardness 5PLATINGHARD COATINGSANODIZE & CONVERSIONPAINT & POWDERGold plateTin plateType II anodizePowder coatZinc plateZinc-nickelHard chromeDLCTiN PVDCadmium plateE-coatCerakoteWet paintHot-dip zincNitridingHVOF coatingSilver plate — corrosion 55, hardness 39Silver plate
02550751000255075100Corrosion protection (0–100)Surface hardness (HV, log scale, 0–100)Plating — 19 finishesHard coatings — 17 finishesAnodize & conversion — 8 finishesPaint & powder — 7 finishesType II anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 54BSA anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 52Type I anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 49Hard anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 61PTFE hard anodize — corrosion 71, hardness 61Nitriding — corrosion 55, hardness 73PEO — corrosion 70, hardness 74Sherardizing — corrosion 83, hardness 56Brass plate — corrosion 35, hardness 44Bronze plate — corrosion 40, hardness 49Cadmium plate — corrosion 70, hardness 26Copper plate — corrosion 32, hardness 39Decorative chrome — corrosion 64, hardness 71Electroless copper — corrosion 20, hardness 41Electroless nickel — corrosion 70, hardness 68Nickel plate — corrosion 51, hardness 55Gold plate — corrosion 68, hardness 39Hard chrome — corrosion 40, hardness 73Hot-dip zinc — corrosion 90, hardness 42Nickel-PTFE — corrosion 72, hardness 57Solder plate — corrosion 42, hardness 9Tin plate — corrosion 34, hardness 0Zinc plate — corrosion 60, hardness 30Zinc-nickel — corrosion 86, hardness 60Cerakote — corrosion 83, hardness 27E-coat — corrosion 83, hardness 15Epoxy coat — corrosion 83, hardness 15Powder coat — corrosion 83, hardness 14Wet paint — corrosion 59, hardness 10AlCrN PVD — corrosion 58, hardness 93AlTiN PVD — corrosion 52, hardness 94CrN PVD — corrosion 62, hardness 83DLC — corrosion 55, hardness 93MoS2 PVD — corrosion 20, hardness 26TiAlN PVD — corrosion 50, hardness 93TiCN PVD — corrosion 40, hardness 92TiB2 PVD — corrosion 40, hardness 94TiN PVD — corrosion 45, hardness 87WC/C PVD — corrosion 48, hardness 77ZrN PVD — corrosion 52, hardness 90CVD alumina — corrosion 70, hardness 85CVD TiCN — corrosion 38, hardness 92CVD TiN — corrosion 45, hardness 87Multilayer CVD — corrosion 62, hardness 88HVOF coating — corrosion 78, hardness 77Plasma spray — corrosion 60, hardness 68Plastic chrome — corrosion 72, hardness 71Electroless plastic — corrosion 58, hardness 39Clear coat — corrosion 20, hardness 12Soft-touch — corrosion 20, hardness 5PLATINGHARD COATINGSANODIZE & CONVERSIONPAINT & POWDERGold plateTin platePowder coatZinc plateSilver plate — corrosion 55, hardness 39Silver plate
Anodize & conversionPlatingPaint & powderHard coatings

Specifications for Silver plate

The documents a drawing cites to define this finish, with the Type / Class rows that apply. Each links to a page explaining the standard.

StandardType / ClassThicknessRequirement / testStatus
ASTM B700
Standard Specification for Electrodeposited Coatings of Silver for Engineering Use · ASTM
Types 1–3—Minimum silver purity 99.9%, 99.0%, and 98.0%, respectively. · Silver purity.Active
Grades A–D—A matte, B bath-bright, C polished bright, D semibright. · Visual appearance.
Class N—No supplementary tarnish-resistant treatment. · Appearance and agreed performance.
Class S—Chromate tarnish-resistant treatment; not suitable for food service. · Tarnish treatment and agreed performance.
Class T—Non-chromate tarnish-resistant treatment. · Tarnish treatment and agreed performance.

Drawing call-out

SILVER PLATE PER ASTM B700, TYPE I, GRADE A, 0.0005 IN MIN ON CONTACT SURFACES; NICKEL UNDERPLATE 0.0002 IN MIN; NO ANTITARNISH

Pattern: SILVER PLATE PER ASTM B700, TYPE <1|2|3>, GRADE <A|B|C|D>, CLASS <N|S|T>, <THICKNESS>, UNDERPLATE <SYSTEM>

Which materials take Silver plate?

Verdict per material family, with the grades that behave differently. Each family links to its datasheets in the material library.

Material familyVerdictNotes
Brass
YesCommon decorative and electrical substrate after cleaning.
Copper Alloy
YesPrimary electrical substrate, commonly with nickel barrier.
Nickel Alloy
YesPlateable after proper activation.
Aluminum
With careRequires zincate and underplate sequence.
DMLS / SLM
With careMetal AM parts can be plated after density, powder, and porosity review.
Stainless Steel
With careRequires activation and strike.
Steel
With careRequires copper or nickel underplating.
Zinc Alloy
With careDie castings need a protective strike before acid baths.
Magnesium Alloy
LimitedHighly reactive; needs a qualified pretreatment and is rarely plated this way.
Polymer
LimitedOnly plateable resins after etch, catalyst, and electroless metallization.
SLA
LimitedOnly if the resin is qualified for metallization; most SLA parts are not.
Titanium
LimitedPossible only with specialized activation; not a routine job-shop sequence.
FDM
NoFused-filament polymers are not a standard plating substrate.
MJF
NoPorous nylon powder-bed parts are not a standard plating substrate.
SLS
NoPorous nylon powder-bed parts are not a standard plating substrate.

How Silver plate is applied, and what it does to the part

  1. 1Clean
  2. 2Activate
  3. 3Apply copper or nickel underplate
  4. 4Silver plate
  5. 5Rinse
  6. 6Optional antitarnish
  7. 7Thickness and adhesion test
DimensionsSpecify minimum local silver on contact zones and maximum buildup on mating edges.
Build-up per side5–20 µm — Electrolytic current distribution produces heavier edges and thinner recesses.
MaskingUsually needed. Mask noncontact areas to control precious-metal use and all fits that cannot accept buildup.
ElectricalConductive
AppearanceBright white metallic when fresh; darkens or yellows with sulfur tarnish.
Added lead time4–8 working days on top of the bare part

Design rules for Silver plate

What to decide on the drawing before the part goes to the finisher.

  1. Limit plating to significant contact surfaces.Silver cost scales directly with coated area and thickness.
  2. Specify underplate.Nickel or copper controls diffusion and adhesion.
  3. State antitarnish permission.Post-treatments may change contact or solder behavior.
  4. Avoid sulfur-bearing packaging.Sulfur compounds rapidly tarnish silver.

Silver plate versus the alternatives

Finishes engineers weigh against Silver plate, and when each wins.

FinishCorrosionHardnessCosmeticCostThicknessChoose it when
Silver plate
this page
553972$$$$5–20 µm—
Gold Plating
Silver plate vs Gold Plating →
683992$$$$0.5–5 µmwhen tarnish-free low-level signal reliability is required
Tin Plating
Silver plate vs Tin Plating →
34045$$3–15 µmwhen solderability at lower cost governs
CorrosionHardnessCosmeticLubricityEconomy
Silver plateGold Plating

The radar overlays Silver plate with Gold Plating, its most common alternative — chosen when tarnish-free low-level signal reliability is required. Scores in the table are 0–100 across every finish in the catalog.

Cost, lead time and compliance

Relative cost

Silver Plating is a high-cost finish ($$$$): more expensive than about 88 % of the finishes FabDigit quotes.

Finishing is priced per part with a lot minimum, from FabDigit's own China-side rates cross-checked against US job-shop pricing. The exact figure appears on the instant quote once the part is uploaded.

Lead time and compliance

Added lead time4–8 working days
RoHSCompliant
NotesSilver itself is RoHS compatible; cyanide-bearing legacy bath chemistry requires strict industrial controls.

What Silver plate is used for

  • RF waveguides
  • Switchgear contacts
  • Busbars
  • Aerospace contacts
  • Battery terminals

Silver plate — frequently asked

silver plating thickness for electrical contacts

General contacts often use 5–10 µm, while wear or high-current service may use 10–20 µm. Specify minimum local thickness on the actual contact area.

does silver plating tarnish

Yes, sulfur compounds form dark silver sulfide. The layer remains electrically conductive, but low-level contact resistance and appearance can suffer.

silver plating vs gold plating

Silver has superior bulk conductivity and is economical for high-current contacts at 5–20 µm. Gold resists tarnish better and is favored for low-level signals, but it costs more and is normally much thinner.

can silver plate aluminum

Yes, but aluminum needs zincate or another qualified activation plus underplates before silver. Direct plating without this sequence is prone to blistering and galvanic attack.

is silver plating solderable

Fresh silver is readily solderable and common on terminals and busbars. Control tarnish, storage, and any antitarnish film because these can change wetting.