ASTM B183-79(1997)
(Practice)Standard Practice for Preparation of Low-Carbon Steel for Electroplating
Standard Practice for Preparation of Low-Carbon Steel for Electroplating
SCOPE
1.1 This practice is intended as an aid to electroplaters in setting up a suitable cleaning cycle preparatory to electroplating of low-carbon steel (Note 1) containing less than 0.35 mass% of carbon and to indicate some of the precautions that must be taken to maintain this cycle in good operating condition. Note 1-The preparation of high-carbon steel for electroplating is covered in Practice B242.
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
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Designation: B 183 – 79 (Reapproved 1997)
Standard Practice for
Preparation of Low-Carbon Steel for Electroplating
This standard is issued under the fixed designation B 183; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.
1. Scope 4. Cleaning Solutions and Apparatus
1.1 This practice is intended as an aid to electroplaters in 4.1 All solutions should be subject to chemical control,
setting up a suitable cleaning cycle preparatory to electroplat- including determinations of the free acid and iron contents of
ing of low-carbon steel (Note 1) containing less than 0.35 the pickling solutions and acid dips, and such tests of the
mass % of carbon and to indicate some of the precautions that cleaning solutions as recommended by the manufacturer.
must be taken to maintain this cycle in good operating 4.2 Based on tests and experience, all solutions should be
condition. discarded before they have lost their effectiveness.
4.3 To conserve cleaning and pickling solutions and to
NOTE 1—The preparation of high-carbon steel for electroplating is
ensure continuous operation when heavy production is in-
covered in Practice B 242.
volved, doubling of facilities in the same line of operation may
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the
be desirable. This arrangement will result in a high degree of
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
contamination of the first of two solutions of the same kind
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
while the second ones will be sufficiently clean to continue to
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
use. It will also reduce the degree of contamination of
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
subsequent solutions, for example, by oil and grease.
4.4 As an alternative to the procedure described in 4.3, the
2. Referenced Documents
cleaner and pickle tanks may be provided with a large dam
2.1 ASTM Standards:
overflow and a pump having its intake placed about half-way
B 242 Practice for Preparation of High-Carbon Steel for
down the overflow dam between the accumulated grease and
Electroplating
oil on top and the settled-out solid dirt at the bottom, and
B 322 Practice for Cleaning Metals Prior to Electroplating
having its outlet placed near the bottom of the tank at the end
opposite to the dam overflow.
3. Nature of Cleaning
4.5 Separate tank electrodes, removable from the tank for
3.1 The preparation of low-carbon steel for electroplating
inspection and cleaning, should be used. Contact hooks for the
involves three basic steps in the following order:
electrodes should be of the inverted V-type for round tank bars
3.1.1 Removal of oil, grease, and caked-on dirt,
and should be of sufficient size to carry the required current.
3.1.2 Removal of scale and oxide films by “pickling,” and
4.6 Rinse tanks should be arranged with a dam overflow,
3.1.3 Removal of any smut left on the surface after step
and any water inlet other than a spray should be placed so as
3.1.2 and activation of the steel.
to ensure thorough circulation of the water and a large working
3.2 Removal from the steel of fabricating lubricants and
surface free from grease accumulation. An adequate flow of
finishing compounds may have to be undertaken by “preclean-
water is essential.
ing” before the articles reach the electroplating room. The
4.7 Heating coils should be placed on the work-piece side of
remainder of the operations should immediately precede the
the tank in order to assure a working surface free from grease
electroplating. In some instances separate removal of smut may
accumulation.
not be necessary as in the case of parts which are barrel-
electroplated and tumbled.
5. Procedure for Racked Parts
5.1 The cycle described in 5.2 to 5.6 should be used for the
1 preparation of racked parts subsequently electroplated in still
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee B-8 on Metallic and
Inorganic Coatings and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee B08.02 on tanks, agitated tanks, semi- and full-automatic equipment,
Substrate Preparation.
except in those cases described in Section 6.
Current edition approved March 30, 1979. Published May 1979. Originally
published as B 183 – 43 T. Last previous edition B 183 – 72.
Annual Book of ASTM Standards , Vol 02.05.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
B 183
5.2 Precleaning—In general, it is necessary to remove 6.2 Vapor phase degreasing with chlorinated solvents is an
fabricating lubricants, buffing compounds, and other soils by excellent way to remove mineral oil form recesses such as
precleaning. This precleaning may be accomplished with overlapping joints that cannot be cleaned by any other method.
alkaline soak cleaners, cleaners designed to remove buffing 6.3 Plants with limited facilities sometimes omit preclean-
compounds (including the use of ultrasonic cleaners), alkaline
ing especially with work that is not too heavily soiled. This is
spray cleaners, and the use of chlorinated solvents such as permissible; however, electrocleaning time may have to be
trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene in vapor-type degreas-
increased and it is almost always necessary to change electro-
ing equipment, or by use of cold chlorinated solvents if vapor cleaners more frequently. Likewise, close control is necessary
equipment is not available. Precleaning normally should be
to ensure proper electrocleaner concentration at all times.
accomplished as soon as possible after fabrication because
6.4 While pickling in strong hydrochloric acid or acid salts
many stamping lubricants and buffing compounds become
in accordance with 5.5 is suitable for most oxide conditions,
much more difficult to remove if allowed to age on the steel
including heavy annealing scale, welding marks, or wheel
surface and can chemically attack the substrate causing etch-
burns, it may sometimes be preferable to use hot sulfuric acid
ing.
(about 100 mL of concentrated, 93 mass %, sulfuric acid
5.3 Electrocleaning—The part to be cleaned should be (density 1.83 g/mL) diluted to 1 L) containing a suitable
anodically (reverse) electrocleaned in a solution of a suitably inhibitor to protect the steel from over pickling (see Caution in
compounded, free-rinsing, high-conductivity steel electro- 5.5). Th
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