Chemical nickel plating methods and systems

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF CHEMICALLY PLANTING WITH NICKEL A SOLID BODY OF CATALYTIC MATERIAL EMPLOYING AN AQUEOUS CHEMICAL NICKEL PLANTING SOLUTION OF THE NICKEL CATIONHYPOPHOSPHITE ANION TYPE HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY A PREDETERMINED COMPOSITION AND CHARACTERIZED BY STABILITY AND A LOW PLANTING RATE AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN A FIRST GIVEN RANGE DISPOSED WELL BELOW THE BOILING POINT THEREOF AND BY INSTABILITY AND A HIGH PLATING RATE AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN A SECOND GIVEN RANGE DISPOSED NEAR THE BOILING POINT THEREOF, SAID METHOD COMPRISING PROVIDING A SOLUTIO AS SPECIFIED, STORING A FIRST PORTION OF SAID SOLUTION IN A RESERVOIR AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN SAID FIRST RANGE, HOLDING A SECOND PORTION OF SAID SOLUTION AS A PLANTING BATH IN A PLATING CHAMBER AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN SAID SECOND RANGE, CIRCULATING SAID SOLUTION FROM SAID RESERVOIR THROUGH A PREHEATER AND A CONDENSER IN SERIES RELATION INTO PLATING CHAMBER AND THEREFROM THROUGH A FLASH TANK AND AN AFTER-COOLER IN SERIES RELATION BACK-INTO SAID RESERVOIR, INDIRECTLY HEATIG SAID SOLUTION IN SAID PREHEATER TO A TEMPERATURE INTERMEDIATE SAID FIRST AND SECOND RANGES, SAID LAST-MENTIONED STEP INVOLVING PASSING A HEATING FLUID THROUGH SAID PREHEATER IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION WITH SAID SOLUTION, BUT OUT OF CONTACT THEREWITH, CONDENSER DRIRECTLY TO HEAT IT TO ATEMPERATURE WITHIN SAID CONDENSER DIRECTLY TO HEAT IT TO A TEMPERATURE WITHIN SAID SECOND RANGE, WITHDRAWING SUFFICIENT WATER VAPOR FROM SAID SOLUTION IN SAID FLASH TANK DIRECTLY TO COOL IT TO A TEMPERATURE INTERMEDIATE SAID FIRST AND SECOND RANGES, SAID LAST-MENTIONED STEP INVOLVING SUBJECTING SAID SOLUTION TO A SUBATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IN SAID FLASH TANK,INDIRECTLY COOLING SAID SOLUTION IN SAID AFTER-COOLER TO A TEMPERATURE WATER VAPOR WITHDRAW FROM SAID SOLUTION IN SAID FLASH PASSING A COOLING FLUID THROUGH SAID AFTER-COOLER IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION WITH SAID SOLUTION BUT OUT OF CONTACT THEREWITH, THE QUANTITY OF SAID LIVE STEAM INJECTED INTO SAID SOLUTION IN SAID CONDENSER AND THE QUANTITY OF SAID WATER VAPOR WITHDRAW FROM SAID SOLUTION IN SAID FLASH TANK BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL, AND IMMERSING SAID BODY IN SAID BATH IN SAID PLATING CHAMBER.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF CHEMICALLY PLANTING WITH NICKEL A SOLID BODY OF CATALYTIC MATERIAL EMPLOYING AN AQUEOUS CHEMICAL NICKEL PLANTING SOLUTION OF THE NICKEL CATIONHYPOPHOSPHITE ANION TYPE HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY A PREDETERMINED COMPOSITION AND CHARACTERIZED BY STABILITY AND A LOW PLANTING RATE AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN A FIRST GIVEN RANGE DISPOSED WELL BELOW THE BOILING POINT THEREOF AND BY INSTABILITY AND A HIGH PLATING RATE AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN A SECOND GIVEN RANGE DISPOSED NEAR THE BOILING POINT THEREOF, SAID METHOD COMPRISING PROVIDING A SOLUTIO AS SPECIFIED, STORING A FIRST PORTION OF SAID SOLUTION IN A RESERVOIR AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN SAID FIRST RANGE, HOLDING A SECOND PORTION OF SAID SOLUTION AS A PLANTING BATH IN A PLATING CHAMBER AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN SAID SECOND RANGE, CIRCULATING SAID SOLUTION FROM SAID RESERVOIR THROUGH A PREHEATER AND A CONDENSER IN SERIES RELATION INTO PLATING CHAMBER AND THEREFROM THROUGH A FLASH TANK AND AN AFTER-COOLER IN SERIES RELATION BACK-INTO SAID RESERVOIR, INDIRECTLY HEATIG SAID SOLUTION IN SAID PREHEATER TO A TEMPERATURE INTERMEDIATE SAID FIRST AND SECOND RANGES, SAID LAST-MENTIONED STEP INVOLVING PASSING A HEATING FLUID THROUGH SAID PREHEATER IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION WITH SAID SOLUTION, BUT OUT OF CONTACT THEREWITH, CONDENSER DRIRECTLY TO HEAT IT TO ATEMPERATURE WITHIN SAID CONDENSER DIRECTLY TO HEAT IT TO A TEMPERATURE WITHIN SAID SECOND RANGE, WITHDRAWING SUFFICIENT WATER VAPOR FROM SAID SOLUTION IN SAID FLASH TANK DIRECTLY TO COOL IT TO A TEMPERATURE INTERMEDIATE SAID FIRST AND SECOND RANGES, SAID LAST-MENTIONED STEP INVOLVING SUBJECTING SAID SOLUTION TO A SUBATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IN SAID FLASH TANK,INDIRECTLY COOLING SAID SOLUTION IN SAID AFTER-COOLER TO A TEMPERATURE WATER VAPOR WITHDRAW FROM SAID SOLUTION IN SAID FLASH PASSING A COOLING FLUID THROUGH SAID AFTER-COOLER IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION WITH SAID SOLUTION BUT OUT OF CONTACT THEREWITH, THE QUANTITY OF SAID LIVE STEAM INJECTED INTO SAID SOLUTION IN SAID CONDENSER AND THE QUANTITY OF SAID WATER VAPOR WITHDRAW FROM SAID SOLUTION IN SAID FLASH TANK BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL, AND IMMERSING SAID BODY IN SAID BATH IN SAID PLATING CHAMBER.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF DEPOSITING A METAL FROM A CHEMICAL REDUCTION TYPE PLATING BATH, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF IMMERSING AN ARTICLE TO BE COATED INTO SAID PLATING BATH WHICH IS MAINTAINED AT AN ENVATED TEMPERATURE AND IS CONTINUOUSLY RECIRCULATED THROUGH A FILTER, SAID PLATING BATH BEING RAPIDLY COOLED BEFORE IT ENTERS SAID

Claim 4

A METHOD OF DEPOSITING A METAL FROM A CHEMICAL REDUCTION TYPE PLATING BATH, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF IMMERSING AN ARTICLE TO BE COATED INTO SAID PLATING BATH WHICH IS MAINTAINED AT AN ENVATED TEMPERATURE AND IS CONTINUOUSLY RECIRCULATED THROUGH A FILTER, SAID PLATING BATH BEING RAPIDLY COOLED BEFORE IT ENTERS SAID