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 44020
Activated Carbon used in Nickel Plating
[Arizona]
February 13, 2007
Dear Experts:
If I place activated carbon bags in a filter, how do I know when to
replace it ???
Is there some visual cues to tell us when ?
Is there any literature that establishes it for this process (bath
turnovers, flowrate, amount of activated carbon, work load ...)
Lan Ha
aerospace - Tempe, AZ, USA
First of two simultaneous responses -- February 19, 2007
Powdered carbon absorbs more quickly than granular but likewise it
doesn't "last" as long.
The rule of thumb we use here is about 2lbs per 40 hours of contact
time with the bath. You need to watch your surface tension though as
wetting agents can saturate the carbon rather quickly.
I'd recommend running the bath through a carbon packed filter instead
of hanging bags of carbon over the side. The filter method is more
effective for general plating practices.
Jim Ott
plating shop - Middletown, PA
Second of two simultaneous responses -- February 19, 2007
Hello Lan,
There is no way to tell visibly if the activated carbon is spent and
needs to be changed. The general rule of thumb for nickel plating
solutions is 2-4 lbs activated carbon per 100 gallons of solution.
The amount of time would depend on the degree of organic
contamination present. Good Luck!
Mark Baker
Process Engineer - Syracuse, NY, USA
February 21, 2007
Dear Jim:
1. Your information seems to be helpful! Can you let me know the size
of your bath ? Like how many gallons ???
2. We don't used wetting agent in our bath. It's conventional Watts
Bath.
3. We fill our own bag with activated carbon granular and place it
into penguine filters. So, it's rather packed!
Dear Mark:
Your suggetion is 2-4 lbs of activated carbon per 100 gallons of
solution. I understand it will remove the organic contamination. But
how do I know when to dispose and replace ???
Thank you both for sharing your thoughts.
Lan Ha
Acme Aerospace - Tempe
February 28, 2007
Lan,
If the filter chamber is packed too tightly with activated carbon you
will restrict the exposure of solution to carbon. If the chamber is
too small, you may want to look into getting a larger vessel like a
carbulator (sp)?? Two to four pounds activated carbon per 100 gallons
should be good for 24 hours with no problem. Don't re-use the carbon
after the treatment. You should not have to repeat the process after
24 hours. Good Luck!
Mark Baker
Process Engineer - Syracuse, NY, USA
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