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Contaminated copper strike tank?

2007

Hello all,

We had a mishap in our plating department today, and I am looking for some suggestions....
We have a nitric acid tank that we use for stripping our plating racks, and our new apprentice left some nickel plated steel bus bars in it overnight, and suffice it to say, it dissolved the bus bars, and made the well known "orange cloud". Well, This gas cloud filled the room, and the nitric tank was in close proximity to the cyanide copper strike tank and the reaction that happened overnight caused the copper strike tank solution to change to almost a green color. after cleaning up the room and letting it air out for a good 4 hours, I tested the copper strike, and it appears to plate well, and at a good rate. My question is, am I going to run into problems later? Or am I good to continue plating? Should I replace the bath?

Thank you in advance,

John Wanninger
Technical engineer - Placerville, California U.S.A

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Green color probably indicates there is no free cyanide left in the copper strike. Check pH and free cyanide, correct as necessary, and you may well be okay.

Jeffrey Holmes, CEF
Spartanburg, South Carolina
2007

As long as free KOH is within the spec. it is ok (pH>12)

John Hu
- Singapore
2007

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