Patent ID: 8388825

Claim:
A process for plating an aluminum article or an aluminum alloy article comprising: a) preparing the surface of the aluminum or aluminum alloy article by treating the aluminum or aluminum alloy article to remove unwanted alloyed metals or metal oxides; b) making the aluminum article or the aluminum alloy article a cathode or an anode of an electrolytic cell containing an aqueous solution or dispersion of a protein; c) applying an electric current to the electrolytic cell wherein the protein becomes chemically bonded directly to the aluminum article or the aluminum alloy article; d) placing the protein-bonded aluminum article or the protein-bonded aluminum alloy article into an electroless metal plating bath containing a metal; and e) electroless plating the metal onto the protein-bonded aluminum article or the protein-bonded aluminum alloy article to produce a metal-plated aluminum article or a metal-plated aluminum alloy article.