We continue our journey towards getting to know Legor's "Magic 5", the five metals that are the spokesmen for an ethical choice, in line with the production requirements of the circular economy and the most important demands of the consumers of the future. Gold, silver, platinum, palladium and rhodium used by Legor for the realization of alloys, powders and galvanic solutions, come 100% from recycled sources and are included in the Chain of Custody.
Here, the star "superhero" metal is rhodium. In what terms? Meanwhile, its role in the formation of white gold alloys with low nickel release.
On this theme, Legor has developed NI1811: the line of low nickel release alloys in 750 ‰ (18 Kt) white gold. Nickel is in fact the cheapest and most performing bleaching agent to obtain white gold. According to European regulations, its use in gold production requires control and regulation through a release test. The NI1811 line has proven to perform as well as traditional alloys containing higher amounts of nickel. Another advantage of this alloy is also the lower amount of rhodium present in the composition, result of a research carried out by the R&D laboratory aimed at verifying what is the minimum rhodium content necessary to give stability to the result, in order to provide the best performing alloys at the lowest price.
What are the alternatives to rhodium? With a view to the constant search for solutions compatible with market changes, Legor has developed in recent months several alternatives to rhodium. Due to the dramatic increase in rhodium and palladium prices, companies have had to make radical choices. Among the various solutions, Legor proposes RHLUX, a galvanic deposition bath that allows to obtain bright deposits of a Rhodium-Ruthenium alloy with a rhodium majority composition. Thanks to its aesthetic and chemical-physical characteristics, the rhodium-ruthenium alloy obtained with RHLUX is a more economical alternative to a pure rhodium deposit as a final layer for a high brightness white color.
