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  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Hot electro clean and etch

2004

I am working in a shock absorber company. The central rod is hard chrome plated. The rods are hot electro cleaned and etched. For the electro clean, the rods (anodes) are placed between two cathode plates and slides across horizontally. the current is turn on approximately 10 seconds.

Can the cathode plates for the electro clean be of mesh or strip to reduce the requirement for high current and still be effective, or has to be plate for electric density purposes?

Is there a best relationship between current and anode size, distance and distribution?

Vitali Bednikov
Tenneco Automotive - Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

The current density is a function of amount of current over a given area---eg if you halved your cathode area then for a given current you would be doubling your cathode current density. It is the surface area that counts not whether it is plate or mesh . What current are you using and what is your cathodic area-----what is the surface area of the rods being cleaned?

Allan Bennett
- Hobart, Asmania, Australia
2004