Grantee Research Project Results
Electroplating from Additive-Free Electrolytes
EPA Contract Number: 68D50084Title: Electroplating from Additive-Free Electrolytes
Investigators: Taylor, E. Jennings
Small Business: Faraday Technology, Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: September 1, 1995 through March 1, 1996
Project Amount: $64,597
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (1996) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: SBIR - Pollution Prevention , Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Description:
Faraday Technology, Inc. proposes to develop an electroplating process from additive-free bath for the printed wiring board (PWB) industry and metal plating industry. Current state-of-the-art metal plating relies on baths containing proprietary additive. These additives were developed empirically and consist of brighteners, levelers, and surfactants. These additives affect the plating process to yield electrodeposits with the appropriate properties for their given applications. During plating, these additives gradually decompose and are replenished until the bath can no longer be used due to the build up of decomposition products. Consequently, the rinse waters cannot be recycled to plating operations. In addition, since the additives and their decomposition products build up and adversely effect the rinse operations, the rinse waters cannot be recycled to the rinse operations. Finally, the sensitivity of the electrodeposition process to the concentration of additives makes it difficult to maintain control of the plating process. They propose to replace the additive plating bath chemistries with electrodeposition from additive-free electrolytes using pulse current waveforms. Additive-free electrolytes will allow the recovery and in-process recycle of rinse waters and plating baths enabling closed-loop environmentally conscious metal plating.Supplemental Keywords:
small business, SBIR, clean production, engineering, chemistry., Scientific Discipline, Sustainable Industry/Business, Chemical Engineering, cleaner production/pollution prevention, Environmental Chemistry, Economics and Business, Chemistry and Materials Science, Environmental Engineering, in-process changes, in-process recycling, plating bath chemistry, cleaner production, environmentally conscious manufacturing, waste minimization, waste reduction, additive-free electrolytes, electroplating, metal plating industry, printed circuit boards, industrial process, process modification, printed wiring board, innovative technology, rinse waters, industrial innovations, pollution prevention, source reduction, pulse current waveformsProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.