AN ELECTROCHEMICAL METHOD FOR FORMING AN INORGANIC COVERING LAYER ON A SURFACE OF A COPPER MATERIAL

摘要

A method is provided for forming an inorganic layer on a surface of a copper material, made of copper or of a copper-based alloy: a browning anodic oxidation process is performed on the copper material in an electrolytic bat h containing only an alkali (for example NaOH) at a specified concentration in aqueous solution, under controlled condition of temperature and anodic curre nt density and for a period of time suitable to form a continuous layer basical ly formed of copper (I) oxide (Cu2O): layers highly adherent to the copper substrate and having good mecanical behaviour are produced: different colors and optical properties may be obtained by controlling the process conditions so as to influence the crystalline form of the Cu2O layers.