Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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How to do antimony coating

We are involved with pH Testing and are having difficulty with a coating needed on one of our electrodes. We need to have a very hard and substantial coating of Antimony coated onto an electrode.The substrate is of nickel/copper with a very thin layer of gold plating for conductivity. We have tried vacuum depositing and Sputtering the Antimony on and in both case it is not adequate. The Antimony flakes off of the surface or appears to be soft.

Harry Simmons
pH Testing - Blairsville, Georgia, USA
2005

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The book "Electroplating" by F. Lowenheim [adv: this book on eBay , Amazon, AbeBooks] . Page 354 has a formula for electroplating of Antimony. Note that antimony is highly toxic, brittle and hard. Others have used SbF3 in fluoboric acid. gold can be activated for plating using potassium cyanide.

Don Baudrand
Consultant - Poulsbo, Washington
(Don is co-author of "Plating on Plastics" [on Amazon or AbeBooks affil links]
           and "Plating ABS Plastics" [on Amazon or eBay or AbeBooks affil links])
2005

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You can find formulas for antimony plating even in 19th century electroplating handbooks (Langbein's for example)!

"Boil 4,4 ozs potassium carbonate
2,11 antimony sulfide water 1 quart
95 °C, antimony anodes (or platinum)"

-- According to Langbein's Handbook (1920)

Goran Budija
- Cerovski vrh Croatia
2005