Skip to main content Skip to primary navigation

AURUNA® 5750: Perfect gold coating at a fraction of the cost

Metal Deposition Solutions

In recent months, the price of gold has skyrocketed for everyone. This drastic price increase also has far-reaching consequences for products with high-quality and functional gold coatings. Such products are becoming more expensive to manufacture and are therefore increasingly unattractive to many buyers.

AURUNA® 5750 offers potential savings of at least 60% compared to fine gold.

With AURUNA® 5750, we have now created a gold-silver electrolyte that enables 12-carat intermediate and final layers, each containing half of both precious metals. Compared to pure gold layers, this can save 60% of precious metal costs, which more than balances out the price pressure on producers caused by the price of gold.

But allow yourself to be convinced by the extraordinary abrasion resistance, ductility, and other advantages of the AURUNA® 5750 alloy.

Umicore MDS - AURUNA 5750 - Gold layer at a fraction of the cost - 50 persent savings on gold

High silver content reduces costs

Umicore MDS - AURUNA 5750 - Gold layer at a fraction of the cost - gold price

Overall, the price of gold is showing a strong upward trend. Uncertainties in the global economy and geopolitical tensions make gold an attractive safe haven for investors, both now and in the future.

The slight increase in the price of silver, which in absolute terms remains two orders of magnitude below that of gold, makes silver, as a 50% alloy partner, a strong cost-reducing factor for AURUNA® 5750 in the long term.

Low density as a further cost reducer

Umicore MDS - AURUNA 5750 - Gold layer at a fraction of the cost - cost rducer

Gold has a high density of approximately 19.3 g/cm³, which is higher than any possible alloy partner. This means that less mass is required to fill the same volume in an alloy. This results in a lower amount of gold being required – however, the proportion is very low in most alloy partners, which means that little gold can be saved.

With AURUNA® 5750, however, the savings effect is clearly noticeable due to the 50 percent silver content, enabling further cost savings of around 10%.

Umicore MDS - AURUNA 5750 - Gold layer at a fraction of the cost - premium layer

Hard, harder, AURUNA® 5750

Umicore MDS - AURUNA 5750 - Gold layer at a fraction of the cost - hard gold

With a Vickers hardness (HV) of 220, this gold-silver alloy truly deserves the name “hard gold.”1 Compared to conventional gold alloys, the Bosch-Weinmann test shows very low abrasion and layer removal values due to the high hardness and lubricating properties of silver.

When comparing alloys that result in a golden yellow deposit, AURUNA® 5750 achieves almost half the abrasion values.2 The coating can therefore be classified as excellent in this respect.

--

1) Fine gold: 70 - 80 HV | Gold/iron: 150 - 170HV
2) Gold/copper alloys are rose-colored.

Outstanding alloy characteristics

  • ROHS compliant: Does not contain any toxic heavy metals and therefore meets strict technical standards.
  • Corrosion resistance: Provides reliable protection against corrosion and extends the service life of coated objects.
  • Layer properties: Guarantees an even and stable layer without cracks up to a thickness of 10 micrometers.
  • Ductility: The coatings are particularly flexible and resistant thanks to their high silver content.
  • Versatile: Can be used as both a final and intermediate layer on technical and decorative applications.
  • Brightness: Even with thicker layers, the brightness is fully retained and does not change.
  • Electrolyte handling: The electrolyte is easy to handle and insensitive to metallic impurities.
  • Electroplating process: Electrolyte can be used very flexibly for rack and barrel goods.
  • Variants: An even more cost-effective variant with low gold content is available for thin layers.
Umicore MDS - AURUNA 5750 - Gold layer at a fraction of the cost - outstanding alloy characteristics

Our 12-karat hard gold is not only impressively cost-effective, but also features extremely hard layers that ensure excellent abrasion resistance. Its many other outstanding characteristics, which meet the highest standards, make this electrolyte unique.

On our product page for AURUNA® 5750, you will find detailed information on the electrolyte and layer characteristics of these gold-saving plating solutions (including the “low content” variant).

AURUNA® 5750 Gold-silver electrolyte for gold-saving plating as a final and intermediate layer

Umicore MDS - AURUNA 5750 - Gold layer at a fraction of the cost - technical application

Umicore MDS - AURUNA 5750 - Gold layer at a fraction of the cost - decorative application

AURUNA® 5750 is not only the first choice for cost-optimized gold plating as an elegant pastel gold finish. It can also be used for protective intermediate layers that retain their color, especially when subject to abrasion, for example on jewelry or plug contacts where a more intense gold tone is desired.

If AURUNA® 5750 has caught your interest, we'd be happy to hear from you. We'd be glad to show you the economic benefits for your application or discuss an initial prototype plating with you. We'd also be happy to talk about whether a cyanide-free delivery form of the concentrate and the supplementary solution would work for you.

Umicore MDS - AURUNA 5750 - Gold layer at a fraction of the cost - contact

Umicore MDS - AURUNA 5750 - Gold layer at a fraction of the cost - Contact person
Contact person

Markus Legeler
Manager Sales International

markus.legeler@eu.umicore.com
Start Teams Chat
+49 7171 607 204 (Office)

LinkedIn   |   Xing

Website content matching this page