Think & Tinker Instrument Prototyping

Think & Tinker, Ltd.
P.O. Box 1606, Palmer Lake, CO 80133
Tel: (719) 488-9640, Fax: (866) 453-8473
Sales: Sales@thinktink.com, Support: Support@thinktink.com

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Acid-Copper Electroplating Module Model 1000 Manual
Chemical Analysis - Hull Cell II

Filling pitcher
Figure 15

Filling Hull Cell
Figure 16

Peeling cover from test plate
Figure 17

Procedure:

Read the maual that came with the Hull Cell carefully before testing your bath! Or you can not read the book, flounder around for half of the day, burn up $25 worth of test plates, and still not know what is going on. READ IT!
If this test is being conducted prior to using the bath for the day, dummy plate a test board (i.e. plate a piece of scrap copper for about 45 minutes). It is important that the bath be adequately stirred up and filtered and that the copper level adjusted by dummy plating before using the Hull Cell.
Flip the main power switch OFF.
Rotate the pump valve to DRAIN (fig.6).
Remove the drain cap and use the drain line to fill a 1 liter pitcher with electrolyte (fig. 15).
Turn the drain valve to OFF (fig.5), the pump valve to RECIRCULATE (fig.6), and replace the drain cap.
Fill the cell to the line marked on the side (fig.16).
Peel the thin plastic cover sheet off of the copper test plate and face the mirror bright surface toward the anode. This VERY smooth surface will act as the target for copper plating and will vividly show any defects in the plating process (fig. 17).
Connect the corrugated anode to the positive (+) terminal of the power supply and the test plate to the negative (-) terminal. Use flexible vinyl tubing to connect the output of the air compressor to the clear acrylic standpipe located at the back of the Hull Cell.
Turn on the air compressor and the power supply.
Adjust the air compressor until a vigorous, uniform curtain of bubbles forms in front of the test plate.
If the power supply can source more than 2 Amps, adjust it's output until it is sourcing 2 Amps.
Plate the test panel for 10 minutes.
Remove the panel from the bath, thoroughly rinse under cool tap water, and carefully dry with a non-abrasive tissue.
Examine the brass test plate while holding it against the 2 AMPS scale on the plastic rule included with the Hull cell (Aren't you glad you read the manual?)
Examine the CORRUGATED ANODE.

If the chloride ion level of the bath is within the proper range, the anode will form a thin coating that will vary in color from very dark brown to pitch black.

If the chloride level is too high, a loose, gray film will form that will effectively stop any plating action. If it too low, the anode coating will be light to dark brown.

DO NOT ADD HCl TO THE BATH WITHOUT PERFORMING A CHLORIDE LEVEL ANALYSIS. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO READJUST THE BATH AFTER TOO MUCH CHLORIDE HAS BEEN INTRODUCED!!!

Established 1990

On the web since 1994