Leaky Eless Nickel Tank Pipes! A Complex Problem!

Yes, we all know that those pipes behind the electroless nickel tanks that are leaking green solution are costing us money. The most obvious cost is the nickel solution we’re losing of course and the waste created by whatever leaks onto the floor. Those issues we know about and can see quite easily.  But there are some other less obvious costs as well.  

Electroless nickel solution, as we all know, is very tightly controlled by the lab and the solution itself contains all of the constituents need to form the deposit. The solution is made up of course nickel, but it has many other components in it that drive and controls the reaction. The solution is engineered to plate the way we want it at the rate we want as bright as we want it.  

So what do leaky pipes have to do with that? We make adds back to the solution all the time by measuring the nickel and adding back, usually 1 to 1, the nickel and the hypo components. It may have leaked out but, we’re putting it back in.  

Well to some extent yes but…  The makeup solution quite often has more ingredients in it or at higher levels than we might see in the replenishment products.  

Complexing agents, stabilizers, and brighteners are contained in the “C 5” single component make up most of our customers are using, at higher levels than in the replenisher.  So a large portion of these components that are key to the performance of the deposit, are put in when we make the bath up and…  Leak out as we run the bath with leaky pipes and tanks.  Heavy drag out jobs will have the same effect.  

What happens when these ingredients leak out and are not replenished at the rate we are losing them?  Money happens!  The bath slows down, the pH drops, the stabilizer can go so low that more plate out or even “white out” can happen and, the bath may plate duller or rougher than we expect to lead to rejects and customer returns.  Failing salt spray or hardness can also happen.  

So those leaky pipes and tanks?  Yes, they are costing you money just as you suspected.  They’re also costing you money and impacting your quality in ways maybe you didn’t think about.  

How can we fix it?  Well 1st call your plumber or maintenance guy.  And then call Marko! 

Remember Marathon and MacDermid Enthone can assist you with these issues in multiple ways and we’re always happy to help!

So call your plumber and then call us…  We’re around!