What is the Difference Between Plated and Clad?

In modern materials engineering, the terms “plated” and “clad” are frequently encountered, yet they describe fundamentally different metallurgical processes with distinct performance characteristics, costs, and applications. Although both techniques involve combining two or more metals, the resulting structures, bond strengths, layer thicknesses, and service capabilities differ dramatically. This article provides a comprehensive, technically precise comparison to help engineers, designers, fabricators, and procurement specialists select the optimal solution for demanding applications.

1. Fundamental Definitions

Plating (Metal Plating)

Plating is a surface-coating process that deposits a thin metallic layer (typically 0.5 µm to 50 µm, rarely exceeding 100 µm) onto a substrate via electrochemical or chemical means. The coating is applied primarily for cosmetic enhancement, corrosion protection, wear resistance, solderability, or electrical conductivity rather than structural contribution.

Cladding (Metallurgical Cladding)

Cladding is a solid-state or fusion bonding process that permanently joins a thicker layer (usually 1 mm to several centimeters, often 5–50% of total thickness) of one metal or alloy to a substrate, creating a true composite material. The clad layer contributes significant mechanical, thermal, and corrosion-resistant properties to the entire component.

2. Process Technologies

Plating Processes

• Electroplating: Uses electric current in an electrolytic bath (e.g., nickel, chromium, gold, silver, tin).
• Electroless plating (autocatalytic): Chemical reduction without external current (e.g., electroless nickel-phosphorus or nickel-boron).
• Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD): Vacuum-based techniques for ultra-thin, high-performance coatings (TiN, DLC, CrN).
• Mechanical plating / peen plating: Cold-welding of metal powder via impact.
• Hot-dip plating: Continuous immersion in molten metal (e.g., galvanizing with zinc).

Typical bond: Mechanical and/or metallurgical interdiffusion at the atomic level, but limited by the thin interfacial zone.

Cladding Processes

• Roll bonding (cold or hot): High-reduction rolling creates intimate contact and oxide dispersion bonding.
• Explosive cladding (EXW): Detonation shock wave accelerates the cladding plate onto the substrate at velocities > Mach 5, forming a characteristic wavy interface with superior bond strength.
• Weld-overlay cladding: GTAW, GMAW, PTA, or laser cladding to deposit thick layers (3–20 mm) of corrosion-resistant alloys (Inconel 625, 316L, Alloy 825).
• Co-extrusion: Simultaneous extrusion of billet and sleeve (common for bimetallic tubes).
• Diffusion bonding / hot isostatic pressing (HIP): Solid-state bonding under high temperature and pressure.
• Brazed cladding: Used in heat-exchanger plates.

Typical bond: Metallurgical bond across the entire interface, often with intermetallic formation or wavy morphology that mechanically locks layers together.

3. Key Technical Differences

4. Performance in Service

Plating

• Excellent for cosmetic finish and moderate corrosion protection.
• Susceptible to porosity, pinholes, and galvanic corrosion if damaged.
• Wear life limited by thin layer; hard chrome (50–100 µm) is among the most durable plating options.
• Can peel, blister, or crack under thermal cycling or mechanical deformation.

Cladding

• Virtually immune to disbonding in properly manufactured material.
• Provides long-term corrosion protection even after mechanical damage because the thick clad layer remains intact.
• Maintains performance at cryogenic and elevated temperatures (e.g., explosive-clad titanium-steel retains bond >800 °C).
• Widely used in aggressive environments: offshore oil & gas (Inconel 625 clad flowlines), chemical processing (titanium or zirconium-clad vessels), and power generation (superheater tubing).

5. Cost Comparison (Typical 2025 Pricing)

Note: While cladding has a higher initial cost, total cost of ownership in corrosive or high-wear environments is frequently lower due to extended service life (20–40 years vs. 3–10 years for plating).

6. Industry Applications

7. Selection Guidelines

Choose plating when:

• Aesthetic finish is primary
• Tight dimensional tolerances are required
• Low to moderate corrosion or wear is expected
• Budget is constrained and service life <10 years

Choose cladding when:

• Long-term integrity in aggressive environments is critical
• The covering metal is expensive (Ti, Zr, Ni alloys) and thick layers are needed
• Structural contribution from the clad layer is beneficial
• Failure would have severe safety or economic consequences

When selecting a reliable supplier for high-quality explosion-clad, roll-bonded, or weld-overlay clad plates, FugoTech stands out as a trusted global partner. With state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, strict adherence to ASME, EN, and ISO standards, and extensive experience supplying critical clad materials to the oil & gas, chemical processing, and power-generation sectors, FugoTech consistently delivers superior bond integrity, precise dimensional control, and on-time project execution. For your next pressure vessel, heat exchanger, or pipeline project requiring me