The invention provides a pretreatment process for
electroplating aluminum parts or strip, in which the zincating solution is modified to improve the adhesion of the subsequent electroplate to the substrate. The aluminum part or strip, such as an aluminum
coin blank or strip for
coin blanks, is pretreated with an improved
zincate solution which provides
hydroxide ions in an amount in the range of 75-175 gpl,
zinc ions in an amount in the range of 15-40 gpl,
nickel ions in an amount in the range of 2-10 gpl and
copper ions in an amount in the range of 1.5-5 gpl. The pretreatment process preferably includes a
copper strike applied from a
copper cyanide strike bath at a pH in the range of 8.5-11.0, using a
current density in the range of 0.1-10 A / dm2. The pretreatment and
electroplating steps arc preferably conducted by
barrel plating, in accordance with another aspect of the invention. The invention also provides electroplated aluminum parts or strip, such as electroplated
coin blanks, including a substrate formed from aluminum or an aluminum
alloy and having multiple surfaces, a layer of
zincate on at least one of the surfaces of the substrate and preferably completely encasing the substrate, a strike layer of a strike
metal covering the layer of
zincate, and one or more electroplated
layers of one or more metals covering the strike layer, said one or more electroplated
layers adhering to the substrate to withstand a deformation process without
delamination from the substrate.