Eisboch wrote:

"HK" wrote in message
...


Interestingly, the gold-tone coating on the spools of my Penn spinning
reels does not seem to wear off nearly as easily as the coating on the
Shimanos. It's strictly ornamental, though. Both brands of reels work
well for me...

If it is TiN and not electroplated, and it was done properly, you will
find it damn near impossible to wear off.

Titanium Nitride can look just like gold electroplating. It can also be
adjusted to different "hues".
Several auto manufacturers with the fancy gold hood ornaments and side
badges use plastic or zinc parts that have a vacuum deposited base
coating and then a reactive titanium nitride finish top coating.

Each manufacturer has a different specification in terms of the gold
color, hue, and other color spectrum requirements, etc. which are
controlled by different process parameters including voltage, pressure
and gas ratio mixtures. The "gold" tipped drill bits aren't designed
to be pretty, so they have a dull, but very hard coating. The hood
ornament or badge on a Caddy may be zinc or plastic, but the TiN coating
is bright, shiny gold with a lot of "depth".

Same with many of the modern sports trophy manufacturers. They are
shifting to vacuum deposited TiN instead of electroplating or electro
less nickel plating. The older plating technologies generate toxic
waste that needs to be disposed of. Vacuum deposited coatings are
"green", environmentally.

Same with junk jewelry.

It's an interesting technology.

Eisboch


I don't have any idea what is being used to plate the reels in gold
tone. As I said, the plating is just decoration. The reels don't rust
when it wears off. The frames are aluminum. I wash and dry the reels
after every use, so I haven't had any problems with corrosion, either.
I'd pay $25 to have a reel "redone," but it's not a vital refurb.