Process and apparatus for electroplating

Claim 2

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object, including immersing said object to be plated in an electrolytic plating solution, passing an electric current through said electroplating solution to effect plated deposition of the metal or alloy onto said object to obtain a plated object, removing said plated object from the electrolytic plating solution and immersing said plated object into a post-electroplating rinse solution, wherein the improvement comprises: (a) immersing said plated object into a post-electroplating single, stagnant rinse bath for a period of time sufficient to effect rinsing thereof; (b) removing said plated object from the post-electroplating single, stagnant rinse bath; and (c) drying said plated object.

Claim 3

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 1 wherein the chemical composition of the rinse bath is substantially identical to the chemical composition of the electroplating bath.

Claim 4

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 2 wherein the concentration of at least one chemical in the rinse bath is at least about 50% of the concentration of said at least one chemical in the electroplating bath.

Claim 5

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 3 wherein the chemical is a metal or alloy.

Claim 6

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 2 wherein the concentration of at least one chemical in the rinse bath is at least about 90% of the concentration of said at least one chemical in the electroplating bath.

Claim 7

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 2 wherein the concentration of said at least one chemical in the rinse bath exceeds the concentration of said at least one chemical in the electroplating bath.

Claim 8

An improving process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 1 wherein the pH of the rinse bath is within about 2 pH units of the electroplating bath.

Claim 9

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 1 wherein the metal to be plated onto the object is zinc and the pH of electroplating bath is from about 5.0 to about 6.0.

Claim 10

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 1 wherein the metal to be plated onto the object is cadmium and the pH of electroplating bath is from about 1.00 to about 2.00.

Claim 11

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object including immersing said object to be plated in an electrolytic plating solution, passing an electric current through said electroplating solution to effect plated deposition of the metal or alloy onto said object to obtain a plated object, and removing said plated object from the electrolytic plating solution, wherein the improvement comprises: (a) removing said plated object from said electroplating bath; (b) removing excess electroplating solution from said plated object through the use of removal means and without the use of any rinse solution; (c) recapturing said excess electroplating solution removed from said plated object through the use of recapture means; and (d) returning said excess electroplating solution to said electroplating bath.

Claim 12

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object including immersing said object to be plated in an electrolytic plating solution, passing an electric current through said electroplating solution to effect plated deposition of the metal or alloy onto said object to obtain a plated object, and removing said plated object from the electrolytic plating solution, wherein the improvement comprises: (a) removing said plated object from said electroplating bath; (b) removing excess electroplating solution from said plated object through the use of removal means and without the use of any rinse solution; (c) recapturing said excess electroplating solution removed from said plated object through the use of recapture means; and (d) returning said excess electroplating solution to said electroplating bath.

Claim 13

A process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object comprising the steps of: (a) immersing said object to be plated into a hot electroclean bath for a time sufficient to effect cleaning of the object to be plated; (b) removing said object from said hot electroclean bath; (c) immersing said object into a post-electroclean single, stagnant rinse bath for a time sufficient to effect rinsing thereof; (d) removing said object from said rinse bath; (e) immersing said object into an acid activator bath for a time sufficient to activate said object for electroplating; (f) removing said object from said acid activator bath; (g) immersing said object into an electroplating bath; (h) electroplating said metal or alloy onto said object under conditions suitable to plate the desired amount of said metal or alloy onto said object to obtain a plated object; (i) removing said plated object from said electrolating bath; (j) immersing said plated object into a post-electroplating single, stagnant rinse bath for a time sufficient to effect rinsing thereof; (k) removing said object from said post-electroplating single, stagnant rinse bath; and (l) drying said plated object.

Claim 14

A process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object comprising the steps of: (a) immersing said object to be plated into a hot electroclean bath for a time sufficient to effect cleaning of the object to be plated; (b) removing said object from said hot electroclean bath; (c) immersing said object into a post-electroclean single, stagnant rinse bath for a time sufficient to effect rinsing thereof; (d) removing said object from said rinse bath; (e) immersing said object into an acid activator bath for a time sufficient to activate said object for electroplating; (f) removing said object from said acid activator bath; (g) immersing said object into an electroplating bath; (h) electroplating said metal or alloy onto said object under conditions suitable to plate the desired amount of said metal or alloy onto said object to obtain a plated object; (i) removing said plated object from said electrolating bath; (j) immersing said plated object into a post-electroplating single, stagnant rinse bath for a time sufficient to effect rinsing thereof; (k) removing said object from said post-electroplating single, stagnant rinse bath; and (l) drying said plated object.

Claim 15

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 11 wherein the metal to be plated onto the object is a cyanide dissolvable metal.

Claim 16

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 11 wherein the metal to be plated onto the object is selected from the group comprising platinum, gold, palladium, silver, nickel, steels, high carbon steels, medium carbon steels and low carbon steels.

Claim 17

A process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object comprising the steps of: (a) immersing said object to be plated into a hot electroclean bath to effect cleaning of the object to be plated; (b) removing said object from said hot electroclean bath; p1 (c) immersing said object into a post-electroclean single, stagnant rinse bath to effect rinsing thereof; (d) removing said object from said rinse bath; (e) immersing said object into an acid activator bath to activate said object for electroplating; (f) removing said object from said acid activator bath; (g) immersing said object into an electroplating bath; (h) electroplating said metal or alloy onto said object under conditions to plate the metal or alloy onto said object to obtain a plated object; (i) removing said plated object from said electroplating bath; and (j) removing excess electroplating solution from said plated object without the use of any rinse bath and drying said plated object.

Claim 18

A process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object comprising the steps of: (a) immersing said object to be plated into a hot electroclean bath to effect cleaning of the object to be plated; (b) removing said object from said hot electroclean bath; p1 (c) immersing said object into a post-electroclean single, stagnant rinse bath to effect rinsing thereof; (d) removing said object from said rinse bath; (e) immersing said object into an acid activator bath to activate said object for electroplating; (f) removing said object from said acid activator bath; (g) immersing said object into an electroplating bath; (h) electroplating said metal or alloy onto said object under conditions to plate the metal or alloy onto said object to obtain a plated object; (i) removing said plated object from said electroplating bath; and (j) removing excess electroplating solution from said plated object without the use of any rinse bath and drying said plated object.

Claim 19

In a process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object including immersing said object to be plated in an electrolytic plating solution, passing an electric current through said electroplating solution to effect plated deposition of the metal or alloy onto said object to obtain a plated object, removing said plated object from the electrolytic plated solution, rinsing excess electrolytic plating solution from said plated object, and drying said plated object, the improvement comprising removing said plated object from the electroplating solution and drying said plated object without rinsing excess electrolytic plated solution from said plated object.

Claim 20

In a process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object including immersing said object to be plated in an electrolytic plating solution, passing an electric current through said electroplating solution to effect plated deposition of the metal or alloy onto said object to obtain a plated object, removing said plated object from the electrolytic plated solution, rinsing excess electrolytic plating solution from said plated object, and drying said plated object, the improvement comprising removing said plated object from the electroplating solution and drying said plated object without rinsing excess electrolytic plated solution from said plated object.

Claim 21

In an apparatus for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object, said apparatus comprising an electroclean bath having associated therewith a rinse bath, the improvement comprising utilizing a single, stagnant rinse bath having a chemical composition substantially identical to the chemical composition of the electroclean bath as the rinse bath associated with the electroclean bath.

Claim 22

In an apparatus for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object, said apparatus comprising an electroclean bath having associated therewith a rinse bath, the improvement comprising utilizing a single, stagnant rinse bath having a chemical composition substantially identical to the chemical composition of the electroclean bath as the rinse bath associated with the electroclean bath.

Claim 23

An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the electroclean bath is a stagnant electroclean bath.

Claim 24

In an apparatus for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object, said apparatus comprising an acid activator bath having associated therewith a rinse bath, the improvement comprising utilizing a single, stagnant rinse bath as the rinse bath associated with the acid activator bath.

Claim 25

In an apparatus for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object, said apparatus comprising an acid activator bath having associated therewith a rinse bath, the improvement comprising utilizing a single, stagnant rinse bath as the rinse bath associated with the acid activator bath.

Claim 26

In an apparatus for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object, said apparatus comprising an electroplating bath having associated therewith a rinse bath, the improvement comprising utilizing a single, stagnant rinse bath as the rinse bath associated with the electroplating bath.

Claim 27

In an apparatus for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object, said apparatus comprising an electroplating bath having associated therewith a rinse bath, the improvement comprising utilizing a single, stagnant rinse bath as the rinse bath associated with the electroplating bath.

Claim 28

In an apparatus for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object, said apparatus comprised of electroclean and electroplating baths and having associated with each such bath a rinse bath, the improvement comprising utilizing single, stagnant rinse bath having a chemical composition substantially identical to the chemical composition of the electroclean and electroplating baths, respectively, as each such associated rinse bath.

Claim 29

In an apparatus for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object, said apparatus comprised of electroclean and electroplating baths and having associated with each such bath a rinse bath, the improvement comprising utilizing single, stagnant rinse bath having a chemical composition substantially identical to the chemical composition of the electroclean and electroplating baths, respectively, as each such associated rinse bath.

Claim 30

An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the electroclean bath is a stagnant electroclean bath.

Claim 31

In an apparatus for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object comprising an electroclean bath, an acid activator bath and an electroplating bath, each such bath normally having associated therewith a rinse bath, the improvement comprising utilizing no rinse bath associated with any of the electroclean bath, the acid activator bath or the electroplating bath.

Claim 32

In an apparatus for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object comprising an electroclean bath, an acid activator bath and an electroplating bath, each such bath normally having associated therewith a rinse bath, the improvement comprising utilizing no rinse bath associated with any of the electroclean bath, the acid activator bath or the electroplating bath.

Claim 33

An apparatus as claimed in claim 22 further comprising means for immersing and removing the object from each of the electroclean bath, acid activator bath and the electroplating bath.

Claim 34

A process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object comprising the steps of: (a) immersing said object to be plated into a hot electroclean bath to effect cleaning of the object to be plated; (b) removing said object from said hot electroclean bath; (c) immersing said object into an acid activator bath to activate said object for electroplating; (d) removing said object from said acid activator bath; (e) immersing said object into an electroplating bath; (f) electroplating said metal or alloy onto said object under conditions to plate said metal or alloy onto said object to obtain a plated object; (g) removing said plated object from said electroplating bath; and (h) drying said plated object, wherein no rinsing of electroclean, acid activator, or electroplating bath solution from the object is performed.

Claim 35

A process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object comprising the steps of: (a) immersing said object to be plated into a hot electroclean bath to effect cleaning of the object to be plated; (b) removing said object from said hot electroclean bath; (c) immersing said object into an acid activator bath to activate said object for electroplating; (d) removing said object from said acid activator bath; (e) immersing said object into an electroplating bath; (f) electroplating said metal or alloy onto said object under conditions to plate said metal or alloy onto said object to obtain a plated object; (g) removing said plated object from said electroplating bath; and (h) drying said plated object, wherein no rinsing of electroclean, acid activator, or electroplating bath solution from the object is performed.

Claim 36

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object, including immersing said object to be plated into a hot electroclean solution, electrocleaning said object, removing said object from said hot electroclean solution, immersing said object into a post-electroclean rinse bath, and removing said object from said post-electroclean rinse bath, wherein the improvement comprises: (a) immersing the object to be plated into a post-electroclean single, stagnant rinse bath to effect rinsing thereof; (b) removing said object from said rinse bath; and (c) allowing excess rinse solution to return to said post-electroclean single, stagnant rinse bath.

Claim 37

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object, including immersing said object to be plated into a hot electroclean solution, electrocleaning said object, removing said object from said hot electroclean solution, immersing said object into a post-electroclean rinse bath, and removing said object from said post-electroclean rinse bath, wherein the improvement comprises: (a) immersing the object to be plated into a post-electroclean single, stagnant rinse bath to effect rinsing thereof; (b) removing said object from said rinse bath; and (c) allowing excess rinse solution to return to said post-electroclean single, stagnant rinse bath.

Claim 38

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 25 wherein the chemical composition of the rinse bath is substantially identical to the chemical composition of the electroclean bath.

Claim 39

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 26 wherein the concentration of at least one chemical in the rinse bath is at least about 50% of the concentration of said at least one chemical in the electroclean bath.

Claim 40

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 27 wherein the chemical is a base.

Claim 41

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 26 wherein the concentration of at least one chemical in the rinse bath is at least about 90% of the concentration of said at least one chemical in the electroclean bath.

Claim 42

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 26 wherein the concentration of at least one chemical in the rinse bath exceeds the concentration of said at least one chemical in the electroclean bath.

Claim 43

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 26 wherein the concentration of at least one chemical in the rinse bath exceeds the concentration of said at least one chemical in the acid activator.

Claim 44

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 25 wherein the pH of the rinse bath is within about 2 pH units of the electroclean bath.

Claim 45

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 25 wherein the pH of the rinse bath is within about 0.1 to about 0.5 pH units of the electroclean bath.

Claim 46

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 25 wherein the pH of the electroclean bath is between about 10-14.

Claim 47

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object including, immersing said object to be plated into a hot electroclean solution, electrocleaning said object, removing said object from said hot electroclean solution, and immersing said object into a post-electroclean rinse bath, wherein the improvement comprises: (a) removing said object from said hot electroclean bath; (b) removing excess hot electroclean solution from said object through the use of removal means; (c) recapturing said excess hot electroclean solution removed from said object through the use of recapture means; and (d) returning said excess hot electroclean solution to said hot electroclean bath.

Claim 48

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object including, immersing said object to be plated into a hot electroclean solution, electrocleaning said object, removing said object from said hot electroclean solution, and immersing said object into a post-electroclean rinse bath, wherein the improvement comprises: (a) removing said object from said hot electroclean bath; (b) removing excess hot electroclean solution from said object through the use of removal means; (c) recapturing said excess hot electroclean solution removed from said object through the use of recapture means; and (d) returning said excess hot electroclean solution to said hot electroclean bath.

Claim 49

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object, including immersing the object to be plated into an acid activator bath, removing said object from said acid activator, immersing said object into a post-activator rinse bath, and removing said object from said post-activator rinse bath, the improvement comprising: (a) immersing the object to be plated into a post-activator single, stagnant rinse bath to effect rinsing thereof; (b) removing said object from said rinse bath; and (c) allowing excess rinse solution to return to said post-activator rinse bath.

Claim 50

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object, including immersing the object to be plated into an acid activator bath, removing said object from said acid activator, immersing said object into a post-activator rinse bath, and removing said object from said post-activator rinse bath, the improvement comprising: (a) immersing the object to be plated into a post-activator single, stagnant rinse bath to effect rinsing thereof; (b) removing said object from said rinse bath; and (c) allowing excess rinse solution to return to said post-activator rinse bath.

Claim 51

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 36 wherein the chemical composition of the rinse bath is substantially identical to the chemical composition of the acid activator bath.

Claim 52

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 37 wherein the concentration of at least one chemical in the rinse bath is at least about 50% of the concentration of said at least one chemical in the acid activator bath.

Claim 53

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 38 wherein the chemical is an acid.

Claim 54

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an least object according to claim 37 wherein the concentration of at least one chemical in the rinse bath is at least about 90% of the concentration of said at least one chemical in the acid activator bath.

Claim 55

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 36 wherein the pH of the rinse bath is within about 2 pH units of the acid activator bath.

Claim 56

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 41 wherein the ratio of acid to water in the activator bath is between 1:10 and 10:1.

Claim 57

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object according to claim 41 wherein the pH of the acid acid activator bath is below about 4.

Claim 58

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object, including immersing the object to be plated into an acid activator bath, removing said object from said acid activator bath, immersing said object into a post-activator rinse bath, and removing said object from said post-activator rinse bath, the improvement comprising: (a) removing said object from said acid activator bath; (b) allowing excess acid activator solution to return to said acid activator bath; and (c) immersing said object into an electroplating bath.

Claim 59

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object, including immersing the object to be plated into an acid activator bath, removing said object from said acid activator bath, immersing said object into a post-activator rinse bath, and removing said object from said post-activator rinse bath, the improvement comprising: (a) removing said object from said acid activator bath; (b) allowing excess acid activator solution to return to said acid activator bath; and (c) immersing said object into an electroplating bath.

Claim 60

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object, including immersing the object to be plated into an acid activator bath, removing said object from said acid activator bath, immersing said object into a post-activator rinse bath, and removing said object from said post-activator rinse bath, the improvement comprising: (a) removing said object from said acid activator bath; (b) removing excess acid activator solution from said object through the use of removal means; (c) recapturing said excess acid activator solution removed from said object through the use of recapture means; and (d) returning said excess acid activator solution to said acid activator bath.

Claim 61

An improved process for electroplating a metal or alloy onto an object, including immersing the object to be plated into an acid activator bath, removing said object from said acid activator bath, immersing said object into a post-activator rinse bath, and removing said object from said post-activator rinse bath, the improvement comprising: (a) removing said object from said acid activator bath; (b) removing excess acid activator solution from said object through the use of removal means; (c) recapturing said excess acid activator solution removed from said object through the use of recapture means; and (d) returning said excess acid activator solution to said acid activator bath.