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From: REMOVE_THISdwilkins@means.net (Don Wilkins)
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking
Subject: Re: Tantalum electorplating
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 12:54:34 GMT

On Tue, 13 Oct 1998 19:18:02 -0700, Rev Chuck
<cdub@-REMOVE_THIS-erols.com> wrote:

>You'd need an electrolyte capable of transporting the metal ions,
>tantalum salts or whatever acid is capable of attacking it.

You would also need a solvent which wouldn't decompose before you got
to a potential which would reduce tantalum ions to the metal and then
you would need a solvent that would keep tantalum in solution and ....

It ain't gonna be easy from an aqueous solution. I know of some work
where it was plated from molten fluoride salts. I also recall when one
of his cells split and poured molten fluoride (about 150 pounds) on
the tile floor and damned near burned the lab down.

I am not aware of any method for electrodeposition of  tantalum which
would be applicable to the small shop.


>Once that's tackled, you'll need to experiment with plating bath
>additives to improve the coating's surface.  Dunno if cyanide's
>involved, but it's commonly used with gold or silver.

Cyanide is fine for gold and silver plating because it forms a soluble
complex with either but that is not the case with tantalum which
doesn't particularly care for cyanides.

You can keep Ta in solution with fluorides but you will get hydrogen
evolution before you reduce any tantalum.

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