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Best Practices for Tank Cleaning of Plating Processes

We do decorative nickel/chrome plating. We are looking to continuously improve our process.

We would like to know what others recommend as 'best practices' for cleaning the plating tanks (acid and alkaline rinses, alkaline cleaners, acid salts, nickel and chrome plating process tanks). We have been doing this for a while, but would be interested in knowing what others do.

If we have a tank that builds a film of algae, we will cautiously scrub down the walls and bottom of these tanks before refilling them with water.

If we have a tank which builds a film of 'crust' that is hard, we may choose not to disturb the crust. In the past, we have sometimes found when disturbing the crust, it actually can cause more problems than if it is not disturbed.

We would like to have one generic instruction for cleaning out all tanks after a dump or pump out, but we feel we may need more than one method. We would appreciate your comments and recommendations.

Thanks,

Gloria Schwedler
Captive Plating Shop - Indianapolis, Indiana
2004

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Hi Gloria,

I don't think there is a "generic instruction" for tank cleaning. Over the years I've replaced most of my old steel or fiberglass tanks with polypropylene. I ordered them with a half nipple welded onto the bottom of the tank and poured a bit of concrete so the tank is slightly tilted towards the drain. This allows all but the most gross contaminants to be simply hosed down the drain. It has cut my maintenance labor by a large factor and keeps my platers out of the tanks. The crust issue is another matter. That is going to cause you problems some day if it's in you nickel tanks. I'd clean that stuff out as well as you possibly can or get a liner for the tank and clean it more often. Hope this helps. See you at the 500!

Trent Kaufman
electroplater - Galva, Illinois
2004