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Carbon
Treatment of Organic Impurities Many electroplating solutions require periodic or continuous purification with carbon to remove organic impurities. Sources of organic contamination include brightener breakdown products, drag-in of organic contaminants (e.g., surfactants from cleaner tanks or small amounts of oil), and deterioration of maskants and photoresists. In-tank carbon treatment using the Flo King system is a relatively simple and inexpensive method of removing organic impurities. Effects of Organic Impurities Organic contamination has an adverse effect on the plating process, resulting in pitting, peeling, blistering, high stress, and overconsumption of brighteners. Contamination also results in organically saturated particulates that can build up in the tank as sludge. Conventional Carbon Treatment Conventional methods of carbon treatment can be messy, labor-intensive, and expensive. With one approach, the plating solution is transferred from the production tank to a holding tank, batch treated with powdered carbon, allowed to settle, then decanted back to the plating tank. This results in considerable downtime, solution losses, and sludge buildup on the tank bottom. A second approach is to continually circulate the plating solution through an out-of-tank chamber filled with carbon. This procedure is also prone to leaks and spills and may involve downtime, tools and significant labor. By contrast, Flo King in-tank carbon treatment is inexpensive, leakproof, and easy to accomplish. Non-Plating Processes Carbon treatment is most popular for plating processes but there are occasions when other metal-finishing solutions can benefit. Examples include: Rinse Tanks: The cleanliness and life of final rinses can be improved using carbon treatment to remove dragged-in impurities. Other Tanks: Lightweight oils can be carried into critical tanks by poor parts cleaning, equipment leakage, and drag-in from prior tanks. In-tank carbon treatment is a candidate for the removal of lightweight oil. |
In-Tank |
| Pelletized
Carbon Flo King offers a pelletized carbon that provides advantages compared with the powdered or granular types. The pelletized carbon has a consistent size and shape, resulting in uniform loading and little flow restriction. It is also cleaner than the powder or granular type. |
Flo King Filter Systems, 401 Lake Bennett Ct.,
Longwood, FL 32750-6341 USA
Phone: 407-331-4634 Fax: 407-331-0575 E-Mail:
floking@sprintmail.com
