Gold Plating Services’ 24K Pure Gold Solution is an extremely efficient (cathode efficiency 98%+), neutral pH, water-clear gold plating solution designed to produce a gold electro-deposit of 99.9+% purity to virtually any desired thickness. It is primarily used for surfaces in the medical, semi-conductor, electronic, and PWB industries where soft, high purity gold is required. Note: Due to the grain structure of this type of gold deposit, the reflective qualities of the surface will become noticeably matte with increased thickness.

This solution is fabricated with a purity and hardness of electrodeposited gold that meets Type III, Grade A specifications, as indicated in MIL-DTL- 45204D as follows:

Purity -   99.9+ percent gold minimum (24 karat)
Hardness -   Knoop hardness < 90 (typically 55-60)
                           
                                             Operating Conditions    

       Temperature -   120° - 150°F, 48° - 65°C   (optimum 150°F/65°C)

       Anode to Cathode Ratio -   2:1

       Suggested Voltage -   1.5 V (Voltage may vary if current driven)

       Current Density -   3 amperes per square foot, (20 ma/in²)

       pH (electrometric) -   5.8 – 6.4 (optimum 6)

       Time to deposit 1 micron on 1 in² -   5.5 minutes at 3 ASF

       Solution gold content -   Recommend maintaining 2g/liter

       Replenishment -   Add Gold Replenisher Solution as needed

       Efficiency (Deposit Rate, Weight) -   115-mg/ampere minute

       Filtration -   Continuous, for large scale plating

       Hardness -   60 – 80 Knoop

       Anode -   Platinized Titanium or Bagged Graphite

       Agitation -   Moderate relative Cathode to solution movement

       Shelf Life -   If stored at room temperature, properly sealed solution has a shelf life of about 2 years.

 
If plating according to the above parameters, the following
amount of gold is required to plate 1 in² to the specified thickness (not including rack surface area):
0.2 micron (decorative plate) - ~0.0025 g
0.5 micron (jewelry grade plate) - ~0.0062 g
1 micron - ~0.0125 g
 

NOTES:

To ensure consistency of deposit, the following operating conditions should be controlled.

METAL CONTENT- maintain within 20% of specified operating conditions.

TEMPERATURE- maintain within 5% of specified operating conditions.

PH- maintain within 5% of specified operating conditions. pH will slowly rise during operation. To lower the pH, use Pure Gold pH Control. Add slowly, as there is often a delayed reaction.

CURRENT DENSITY- maintain within 5% of specified operating conditions.

Contact us for more details on how to calculate deposit thickness.