Abstract: Consumer goods and industrial articles are electro-plated with bronze layers for decorative reasons and to protect them against corrosion. The electrolytes used hitherto for producing decorative bronze layers are either cyanide-containing or, as in the case of baths based on organosulphonic acids, highly corrosive or have, as in the case of cyanide-free baths based on diphosphoric acid, unsatisfactory long-term stabilities. Electrolytes which are used for applying solderable bronze layers in the electronics industry usually contain toxic or very toxic thio compounds. The present invention provides a non-toxic electrolyte which displays long-term stability for the electrolytic deposition of decorative bronze layers and a corresponding process for the application of such decorative bronze layers to consumer goods and industrial articles.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrochemical process for the deposition of coatings comprising an alloy of platinum and rhodium on, in particular, decorative articles. The process of the invention is characterized in that defined conditions are employed under which the electrolytically deposited layer has, contrary to expectations, a high whiteness which comes extraordinarily close to the appearance of silver.

Abstract: The present invention is directed at a decorative article which has a particular noble metal-containing outer layer sequence. The invention further relates to a coating process suitable for this purpose. The layer sequence is characterized in that a palladium-containing bottom layer is followed by an electrolytically deposited alloy of ruthenium and an element of the group consisting of platinum and rhodium.

Abstract: Consumer goods and industrial articles are electro-plated with bronze layers for decorative reasons and to protect them against corrosion. The electrolytes used hitherto for producing decorative bronze layers are either cyanide-containing or, as in the case of baths based on organosulphonic acids, highly corrosive or have, as in the case of cyanide-free baths based on diphosphoric acid, unsatisfactory long-term stabilities. Electrolytes which are used for applying solderable bronze layers in the electronics industry usually contain toxic or very toxic thio compounds. The present invention provides a non-toxic electrolyte which displays long-term stability for the electrolytic deposition of decorative bronze layers and a corresponding process for the application of such decorative bronze layers to consumer goods and industrial articles.