Feeling the heat

Feeling the Heat: The best metal finishes for high temperature applications

Metal finishing does more than just add a clean layer to your components. The metal chosen for the plating process is picked for various qualities, depending on the job it is required to do. One of the most desirable qualities for a metal finish is heat resistance, since so many environments produce excessive amounts of heat, either through friction or energy loss.

Which applications need heat-resistant components?

High temperatures are simply part of the day-to-day operation in many industry sectors. This is why heat-resistant metal finishes are in such demand across the board. Some of the most common applications that involve high temperatures include the following:

automotive Industry

Engines, brakes, and power-steering components (among others) all need to resist high temperatures.

Aerospace

Pretty much any components used in the aerospace industry must be able to withstand the harshest of conditions, including extreme temperatures.

Defence

Military components must be heat resistant for several reasons. Quite aside from the heat they produce while being operated, they are often deployed to hot countries and climates.

Power Generation Industry

The energy industry, almost by definition, relies on components that are resistant to high temperatures. Whether nuclear, solar, or natural gas, energy applications can expect to experience extreme heat.

Electrical Industry

While most electronics applications are more concerned with conductivity than heat resistance, electronic components are notorious for overheating, so this is still an important consideration.

Which metal finishes are best for high-temperature applications?

If we’re just looking at heat resistance, the key quality a metal finish must have is a high melting point. The higher the melting point, the better it can withstand extremes of temperature. These are some of the most popular finishes we provide that offer excellent heat resistance:

Melting Point

2647 °F, 1452 °C

Melting Point0%

this finish creates a hard protective layer, which also provides incredible resistance to corrosion and wear.

Melting Point

1981 °F, 1082 °C

Melting Point0%

popular in the heating and electrical industries, copper is an outstanding conductor of both heat and electricity.

Melting Point

1947 °F, 1063 °C

Melting Point0%

with a high melting point and impressive conductive properties, gold is much in demand for precision electronics and electrical components.

Melting Point

1764 °F, 962 °C

Melting Point0%

like gold, silver is highly conductive and protects against extreme temperatures, making it popular in the electronics and telecommunications sectors.

Melting Point

787 °F, 419 °C

Melting Point0%

while it has a lower melting point than some other finishes, it offers great corrosion resistance. In addition, it can be alloyed with other metals to combine their qualities. Popular in the automotive and defence industries.

Which metal finish is right for me?

Picking the right finish for the job involves more than just considering its melting point. For many applications, you need additional qualities, such as corrosion-resistance, conductivity, or wear-resistance. Often your final choice involves juggling those qualities, choosing a metal finish that might not be the most heat-resistant, but offers several other advantages to your project. If you’re not sure what the best metal finish is for you, we are happy to provide our professional opinion.

Get in touch

Whatever industry you’re in, to get the right finish for your engineering project, you need to speak to the professionals. Contact Karas Plating today on 0333 121 0151 for a free, no-obligation quote.