The authoritative public forum
  for Metal Finishing since 1989
-----

What is the need? What is a good thesis subject for master degree in electrochemistry?

Hi,

I'm currently work in lead frame electroplating company, mainly involve in Ni, Pd, Au & Ag plating.

I plan to further my study in Master majoring electrochemistry, just seeking some help from experts here, any interesting topics from electroplating/electrodeposition can be done as my thesis ?

regards
Man

Razman Ismail
plating employee - Johore, Malaysia
March 24, 2009

---

March 25, 2009

Your major professor normally has a group of projects that he would like to have researched. Some of these even have a bit of money available for equipment if he has good ties to industry.
Plus side: You will get more directions on where to research, IE: help.
Minus side: More will be expected of you and he (she) already is knowledgeable in that area, IE: tougher thesis defense.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida

---

Pulse plating technology is a relatively new and very exciting plating method. You might study the effect of various wave forms and pulse frequencies on the speed of deposition and nature of the deposit.

Another interesting field of study is the evaluation of addition agent (brighteners) levels in plating solutions by electrochemical or chromatographic methods. I have often thought that brighteners in Watts nickel solutions might be tested for, semiquantitatively, by use of thin layer chromatography.

Good luck with your project.

Dave Wichern
Consultant - The Bronx, New York
March 28, 2009

As an adder to Dave's comments, Ion chromatography is used for some analyses of plating solutions, but there are a number of detectors available for the unit and some could very probably be used for organic addition agents, without having to have a GC unit.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
March 30, 2009

---

April 4, 2009

Thanks Dave, James

I have done few study of Palladium pulse plating, but it wasn't successful. please correct me

1. Pulse usage is more on cost saving purpose - reduce dog bone effect on high CD.

2. how Pulse can avoid dog bone effect? by highly plate & de-plate (by inverse anodic/cathodic)

well, it seems very dull to me to continue pulse plating. but mean time, it give a great challenge to understand why palladium pulse plating failed. there is some research done by our team, explaining Palladium will have hydrogen evolution due to close proximity of water electrolysis potential to the palladium. but how true it is? I'm not sure. maybe someone can share here?

but come to brightener , as addition agent. I also think it will be good topic as we never know(so far) quantitatively in plating bath, even thru Hull cell.

as you stated Watts nickel solutions might be tested for, semiquantitatively, by use of thin layer chromatography. can you explain in details. I have some good feeling on this topic..

Thanks

Razak Ismail
- Johore, Malaysia

---

If you were to fit an ion chromatograph with a standard HPLC column, you could do a nice job testing for addition agents with an instrument fitted with a UV detector.

I always wanted to try using TLC to test baths for brightening agents. I'd start out by extracting a sample of plating bath with a suitable solvent; perhaps diethyl ether or toluene. Then, I'd spot onto a TLC plate and elute with some mixture of ethyl acetate and hexane.

Then, you could visualize with 10% sulfuric acid/2% vanillin in ethanol - dip the plate and heat with a heat gun ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] . You could get a crude idea of quantitation by the intensity of the color of the spots that develop. It might even be possible to remove adsorbent from the plate and do colorimetry on whatever separated compound was of interest. Of course, that would need to be done on a duplicate plate that had not been treated with visualizing reagent.

I used this technique when I was doing research on termite pheromones, of all things. Ni brighteners are made up of a similar class of chemicals and I think this method would work quite well.

Dave Wichern
Consultant - The Bronx, New York
April 11, 2009

---

Besides what has been said I add the following problems:
1.A plater generally is haunted by sudden deterioration in plating quality which is the result of organic or inorganic impurities.This problem is generally solved by a series of Hull-cell tests which is time-consuming.Hence there is need for a "purifier" which covers both organic and inorganic impurities,a sort of universal plating remedy!.
2.The effects of ultrasonics on plating characteristics has been studied but not compiled.The good effects if any have to be studied for improving salt-spray resistance on ROHS compliant coatings.

S.Ramajayam

Subramanian Ramajayam
consultant - Bangalore, India
April 23, 2009