I was considering copper plating a cast iron skillet to see if it allows for easier maintenance of the skillet with washing and maybe not having to
season it. Obviously I'd remove the seasoning (hot lye works I've been told) and possibly use the sand blaster with something like walnut shelll or
something that won't pit it.
I've read that copper doesn't plate well to cast iron and that another metal is often used as a first coat before copper, some suggested zinc another
nickel (zinc not good for cooking and IDK about nickel).
I've dipped a handle in a solution of copper dissolved in HCl (it was still acidic) for about 20-30 second, and it left a copper sheen though it
looked more dull/redish. I didn't want to hurt the handle, so I just tested this.
I have CuSO4 I thought I'd try and can use electrolysis which would probably be the only way to do this and get a thickness needed for cookware.
Does anyone have any suggestions (about the process or the general idea of it) or possibly have tried this? j_sum1 - 21-5-2017 at 18:50
Well, my suggestion is to leave it as is. A good cast iron pan is great. And once properly seasoned requires very little care.
As for adhesion of copper to cast iron, I am no expert here but there are some things to consider.
Firstly, cast iron has a bcc crystal structure while copper is fcc. That generally does not make for good adhesion. Admittedly this is more of an
issue for welding than plating but I suspect you are right -- an intermediate layer will likely be required.
Secondly, the presence of graphite in the cast iron cannot help adhesion.
Thirdly, I would avoid nickel in cookware that was going to be heated in an often acidic environment. I don't much like ingesting nickel salts.
there are plating recipes out there that have been discovered through trial and error. If you cannot find one then that suggests either that it does
not work or that it is not a good idea. Probably both.
That said, if this is all about some scientific experimentation, by all means give it a shot. Post photos and results. Twospoons - 21-5-2017 at 20:44
copper and iron would be prone to electrolytic corrosion
This is what really kills the idea. Anodic corrosion would probably destroy the pan as soon as even a microscopic hole formed in the copper.
I had a similar idea, finding a metal which could be used as a non-stick pan surface, but there isn't much. Ruthenium is non-corrodable, hard and
cheap, because it is a byproduct of mining Pt and Pd, but it's rare, so it wouldn't stay cheap if you made pans out of it. It will also corrode iron
AFAIK.
However, there is one pan coating material made from a nonmetal that would be nonstick and which does not corrode iron: CVD diamond. Let me know if
you find a way to coat pans with that.brubei - 25-5-2017 at 14:36
iron plating usely need to precoat your surface with Nickel (a mixture of NiH2SO4/NiCl/H3BO3 called Wood Nickel by plating industries) before adding
any other metals to give a stable product against mecanical stress and frictions. I don't know if this has to be done on iron cast too, so don't skip
your bibliogaphy.
