Home /
T.O.C.
FAQs
 
Good
Books
Ref.
Libr.
Advertise
Here
Help
Wanted
Current
Q&A's
Search 🔍
the Site
pub Where the world gathers for
plating, anodizing, & finishing Q&As since 1989





-----

EN Porosity Test with Copper Sulfate





2005

Good Day,

We are researching using Copper Sulfate as a means to test porosity in our Electroless Nickel plated components. The substrate material is Si-iron. This test works. However, I can't seem to find a spec on this testing method. The parts are used in the Aerospace industry, and I was also wondering how to clean the Copper Sulfate off of production parts after testing. Does anyone have any comments on this procedure, or knowledge of a spec that calls this test method out?

Thanks,

Larry Peters
Aerospace Engineering - Wallingford, Connecticut



2005

As one who is a participating member of both ASTM's Committee B08 and SAE Committee B that issues and revised AMS specs, I'm fairly certain that there are no EN specs that use copper sulfate for a porosity test. This answer is also based on my hands-on experience, both plating and testing, with EN for over 25 years. Copper sulfate works well for passivated stainless where you're testing a large open surface area where a color change (steel gray to red copper) is readily apparent. Using it for microporosity in EN would be difficult to ascertain the color change due to the tendency of pits in EN to be very, very small. That's why a ferroxyl test where the color change to blue is pronounced is the universal porosity test for EN. In addition, you could try salt spraying the plated part as this to is nothing but a porosity test when used for nickel as chloride has ZERO attack on EN. Lastly, as the copper sulfate solution is acidulated to keep it active, the parts you test should be cleaned with a mildly alkaline solution such as Baking Soda dissolved in water.

milt stevenson jr.
Milt Stevenson, Jr.
Anoplate Corporation
supporting advertiser
Syracuse, New York
Anoplate banner




2005

To add to Milt's fine answer: the ferroxyl test he mentioned is not covered in ASTM B733 [affil link], the ASTM spec for EN. Yet it is in ASTM B689 [affil link], for electroplated nickel, in Annex A2.

lee gearhart
Lee Gearhart
metallurgist - E. Aurora, New York


none
finishing.com is made possible by ...
this text gets replaced with bannerText
spacer gets replaced with bannerImages



(No "dead threads" here! If this page isn't currently on the Hotline your Q, A, or Comment will restore it)

Q, A, or Comment on THIS thread -or- Start a NEW Thread

Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories:

 
Jobshops
Capital
Equipment
Chemicals &
Consumables
Consult'g, Train'g
& Software


About/Contact    -    Privacy Policy    -    ©1995-2023 finishing.com, Pine Beach, New Jersey, USA