Method of electrocoating strip

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY AND PROGRESSIVELY MANUFACTURING ELECTRO-TINPLATED STRIP COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PASSING THE STRIP THROUGH AN ELECTROLYTIC CELL CONTAINING AN ACID PLATING BATH OF AQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION INCLUDING TIN SALT AND FLUORINE IONS, A SOURCE OF THE FLUORINE IONS BEING A TIN-FREE ACIDIC FLUORINE COMPOUND PRESENT AS A COMPONENT OF THE ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION, ELECTRODEPOSITING A LAYER OF TIN ON THE STRIP WHILE THE STRIP IS IN CONTACT WITH THE ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION, THEREAFTER PASSING THE STRIP FROM THE PLATING BATH WITH TIN SALT-CONTAINING ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION CARRIED FROM THE PLATING BATH ON THE STRIP, RINSING THE STRIP WITH AN AQUEOUS RINSE SOLUTION OBTAINED BY ADMIXING WATER AND A TIN-FREE ACIDIC FLUORINE COMPOUND, THE AMOUNT OF TIN-FREE ACIDIC FLUORINE COMPOUND IN THE RINSE SOLUTION BEING SUFFICIENT TO REDUCE THE PH VALUE OF THE AQUEOUS RINSE SOLUTION TO THE POINT WHERE HYDROLYSIS OF THE TIN SALT CARRIED FROM THE PLATING BATH ON THE STRIP IS SUBSTANTIALLY PREVENTED, THEREBY REMOVING TIN SALT FROM THE STRIP, COLLECTING THE RINSE SOLUTION CONTAINING THE TIN FREE ACIDIC FLUORINE COMPOUND AND THE TIN SALT-CONTAINING ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION REMOVED FROM THE STRIP, AND SUPPLYING THE COLLECTED RINSE SOLUTION TO THE PLATING SYSTEM.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY AND PROGRESSIVELY MANUFACTURING ELECTRO-TINPLATED STRIP COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PASSING THE STRIP THROUGH AN ELECTROLYTIC CELL CONTAINING AN ACID PLATING BATH OF AQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION INCLUDING TIN SALT AND FLUORINE IONS, A SOURCE OF THE FLUORINE IONS BEING A TIN-FREE ACIDIC FLUORINE COMPOUND PRESENT AS A COMPONENT OF THE ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION, ELECTRODEPOSITING A LAYER OF TIN ON THE STRIP WHILE THE STRIP IS IN CONTACT WITH THE ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION, THEREAFTER PASSING THE STRIP FROM THE PLATING BATH WITH TIN SALT-CONTAINING ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION CARRIED FROM THE PLATING BATH ON THE STRIP, RINSING THE STRIP WITH AN AQUEOUS RINSE SOLUTION OBTAINED BY ADMIXING WATER AND A TIN-FREE ACIDIC FLUORINE COMPOUND, THE AMOUNT OF TIN-FREE ACIDIC FLUORINE COMPOUND IN THE RINSE SOLUTION BEING SUFFICIENT TO REDUCE THE PH VALUE OF THE AQUEOUS RINSE SOLUTION TO THE POINT WHERE HYDROLYSIS OF THE TIN SALT CARRIED FROM THE PLATING BATH ON THE STRIP IS SUBSTANTIALLY PREVENTED, THEREBY REMOVING TIN SALT FROM THE STRIP, COLLECTING THE RINSE SOLUTION CONTAINING THE TIN FREE ACIDIC FLUORINE COMPOUND AND THE TIN SALT-CONTAINING ELECTROLYTE SOLUTION REMOVED FROM THE STRIP, AND SUPPLYING THE COLLECTED RINSE SOLUTION TO THE PLATING SYSTEM.