Platingue

Platingue is a term used in materials science to describe a class of engineered surface finishes produced by sequential plating steps that create a textured, multi-layered surface with micro-scale patterns. The concept combines conventional metallic plating with controlled topography to tailor surface properties such as hardness, wear resistance, corrosion protection, and optical appearance.

Origin and usage: The term is not standardized and appears in varied practice. It is used to refer either to the process of depositing multiple metal layers with interleaved texture-imprinting steps, or to the resulting surface state where the texture dominates the surface response.

Techniques: Typical platingue fabrication starts with substrate preparation and a base plating to ensure adhesion. This is followed by deposition of alternating metal layers to yield a multilayer stack, and a patterning step—using lithography, laser texturing, or controlled etching—to impose micro-scale geometry. A post-deposition heat treatment may be applied to adjust diffusion and mechanical properties.

Properties and applications: The resulting surfaces often exhibit gradient hardness, reduced friction, and color shifts due to thin-film interference. Potential applications include decorative jewelry finishes, corrosion-resistant hardware, wearable sensors, and micro-electromechanical systems where surface texture influences performance.

Limitations: Challenges include residual stress between layers, delamination risk, and higher manufacturing cost. Research directions pursue scalable patterning methods and environmentally friendly plating chemistries.

See also: plating, electroplating, surface engineering, microtexturing.