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

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) produces the circulation coins for Canada and has produced coins for over**75 other countries around the world. They are a global leader in the minting industry and their ground-breaking**and patented multi-ply plating (MPP) technology is one of the most advanced electroplating technologies in the**world, which has been also adopted by over 25 other countries. In addition to the cost savings and improved**coinage quality enabled by the technology, it also produces coins with enhanced security feature through a**more reliable electromagnetic signature. Nevertheless, continuous innovation is required to address the**ever-increasing need to reduce costs as the prices of metals keep rising. A possible approach with the**application of the MPP technology to further reduce production costs, without compromising the quality and**durability, 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 develop**new electroplated copper-tin-zinc (Cu-Sn-Zn) and copper-nickel-zinc (Cu-Ni-Zn) ternary alloys. The results of**the research will lead to lower production costs, without jeopardizing coinage quality and durability, which will**translate to increased seigniorage and revenue generation for Canada. Aside from the RCM, electroplating is**widely used in the manufacturing of coated metallic products in other key industry sectors, including**automotive, aerospace, bio-medical and energy, which are vital to the Canadian economy. In addition to the**HQP that will be trained, the realization of more economical and effective electro-plating procedures, as a**contribution from this proposed research, will certainly be beneficial to these industries. Dissemination of the**research 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 aiding**Canada's competitiveness in advanced electroplating technology.