Electrochemical System

Palm Internationals an electrochemical system for continuously passivating the stainless steel components used in electroless plating baths. Its use helps prevent plate-out and avoids stripping the tank with nitric acid on a daily basis. The use of this system thus minimizes disposal of spent nitric acid solutions and the cost of their waste treatment.

The system is based upon the electrochemical technique of anodic protection, which is used to prevent corrosion of equipment in the chemical industries. With the system, only the amount of current needed to prevent plate-out is used to maintain the potential of the metal within a desired range. In addition, at the proper potential, most current is discharged through oxygen evolution rather than by metal dissolution. Not only will it protect the plating tank, but it will also reduce plate-out in the stainless steel pumps and heat exchangers electrically connected to it. Because protection is not dependent upon current flow, passivation does not change significantly with distance.

The microprocessor-controlled potentiostat is designed to protect stainless steel equipment in electroless plating solutions. Its operating program is designed to assure stable, trouble-free operation. In addition, the instrument automatically tests the condition of the tank and instrument to ensure that the system is operating properly. Most of the common errors or faults observed during field and laboratory tests are included in the program. The program includes default values, which are adequate for most baths and tanks.

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