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Specialty Chemistry Forums => Chemical Engineering Forum => Topic started by: abluem97 on August 29, 2014, 11:12:55 AM

Title: Anti-pit in Electroplating is losing effectiveness?
Post by: abluem97 on August 29, 2014, 11:12:55 AM
Hoping someone can help me out...we have an a nickel plating solution and are using anti-pit. Immediately after adding the anti-pit we get perfect particle distribution. However the distribution rapidly declines over the next hour or so, until we add a little more anti-pit. This works fine for us maintaining our ideal distribution levels, until the solution eventually become completely saturated with the anti-pit and we foam everywhere.

Does anyone know what may be causing this, or any solutions? Thanks for your help.
Title: Re: Anti-pit in Electroplating is losing effectiveness?
Post by: eazye1334 on September 02, 2014, 11:37:06 AM
I'm not sure what would be causing the anti-pit to lose effectiveness so fast, but I'll try to come up with something for you to try. What are you using for your anti-pit, SNAP? When is the last time you carbon treated the bath?
Title: Re: Anti-pit in Electroplating is losing effectiveness?
Post by: abluem97 on September 02, 2014, 03:06:11 PM
Thanks for the response eazye1334. We are using SNAP - AM. The tank we are using is brand new (we only set it up a couple of weeks ago) so it has not been carbon treated. The issue seems pretty persistent, so any ideas you come up with would be great. Thanks.
Title: Re: Anti-pit in Electroplating is losing effectiveness?
Post by: eazye1334 on September 04, 2014, 08:51:14 AM
Are you using a Watts bath? Is it a new makeup or is it re-used electrolyte?
Title: Re: Anti-pit in Electroplating is losing effectiveness?
Post by: abluem97 on September 04, 2014, 09:14:25 AM
We have a new makeup in our bath. It is not a Watts bath but nickle sulfamate. Thanks again eazye1334.
Title: Re: Anti-pit in Electroplating is losing effectiveness?
Post by: eazye1334 on September 05, 2014, 10:13:52 AM
Oh, ok, are you electroforming then? That's actually what I do, haha.

You say you set up a new tank, is it shaped like other tanks you have or is it a new design? You could be having flow issues. Also, what is the tank made of? Did you leach with sulfamic acid first?