With all of the above mentioned methods for the determination of internal deposit stress in applied coatings, numerous false assumptions have masked an understanding of what the most accurate deposit stress value really is for a given set of conditions. This needs clarification and correction. The basic questions to ask are, “What is the actual degree of the deposit stress and how can the correct value be obtained?”

For example, in Table 3 and in Figs. 7-9, the deposit stress values for a given metal coating vary widely with length of deposition time as the only variable. It is recognized that increased deposition time causes greater deposit thickness values. But why are the initial values low, then reach a peak, then fall to lower values again? This phenomenon is observed when determining deposit stress values by all of the methods referenced in the body of this paper. The thinner deposit values appear to be considerably lower than the actual value, and the thicker deposit values appear to be much lower than the actual deposit stress values also.

The reasonable conclusion is that only one of the corresponding deposit stress values for a given coating is close to the actual value. Logically, it follows that the deposit stress actually does not change with plating time as the only variable, but remains constant.