Development of electroplated cu-sn-zn and Cu-Ni-Zn ternary alloys for coinage application

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The Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) produces the circulation coins for Canada and has produced coins for over75 other countries around the world. They are a global leader in the minting industry and their ground-breakingand patented multi-ply plating (MPP) technology is one of the most advanced electroplating technologies in theworld, which has been also adopted by over 25 other countries. In addition to the cost savings and improvedcoinage quality enabled by the technology, it also produces coins with enhanced security feature through amore reliable electromagnetic signature. Nevertheless, continuous innovation is required to address theever-increasing need to reduce costs as the prices of metals keep rising. A possible approach with theapplication of the MPP technology to further reduce production costs, without compromising the quality anddurability, is to creatively replace the currently used binary alloy coating on coins with ternary alloys.Therefore, the RCM is collaborating with the University of Manitoba, in this proposed research, to developnew electroplated copper-tin-zinc (Cu-Sn-Zn) and copper-nickel-zinc (Cu-Ni-Zn) ternary alloys. The results ofthe research will lead to lower production costs, without jeopardizing coinage quality and durability, which willtranslate to increased seigniorage and revenue generation for Canada. Aside from the RCM, electroplating iswidely used in the manufacturing of coated metallic products in other key industry sectors, includingautomotive, aerospace, bio-medical and energy, which are vital to the Canadian economy. In addition to theHQP that will be trained, the realization of more economical and effective electro-plating procedures, as acontribution from this proposed research, will certainly be beneficial to these industries. Dissemination of theresearch results will lead to improved manufacturing procedures, which will potentially result in cost reduction,increased business from outside of Canada, job creation and enhanced Canadian economy, while also aidingCanada's competitiveness in advanced electroplating technology.