TECHNICAL DATA SHEET

ARGOBRITE
MIRROR BRIGHT- BLUISH WHITE SILVER PLATING PROCESS

Argobrite is excellent process for silver on silver (Mirror Bright Bluish White plating on white metal), in the manufacture
of items like -

Anklets (Payals).

Chains.

Casket hardware and novelty decorative items.

Electronic Industry, Electric contacts with high conductivity.

Tableware, Holloware, Jewellery etc.

FEATURES :

Bluish white mirror bright deposit at all thickness.

Very high purity( Non Metallic Brightener).

Wide range of application.

Excellent throwing and covering powder.

Superior ductility and very low stress.

Easy to control and maintenance of bath.

Useful for both rack as well as barrel plating.

TECHNICAL DETAILS :
Bath Preparation –
Silvabrite Bright silver salt : 200 g/lt.
Argobrite Brightener No.1 : 50 ml/lt.
Argobrite Carrier Additive : 30 ml/lt.

Dissolve the salt in distilled water / DM water (Chloride Free)

Add Brightener and Carrier Additive and leave for approximately 10hrs in the silver bath

OPERATING CONDITIONS :
Anode Material : Fine Silver
Anode : Cathode surface : 1:1 / 2:1
Tank Material : Plastic tank of PVC or Polypropylene, Hard rubber, stone-ware etc.
Bath Filtration : Required (with larger bath volume, filtration unit made up of Stainless Steel or PVC
Agitation : Required
Voltage : 1-3 V according to current density and distance of electrodes
Current Density : 0.5-4 Amp/dm2
Bath Temperature : 20-300C
Time for 1 micron : Approx. 2 min.(1 Amp/dm2)
Deposit Weight : 65 mg per amp / min.
Fine Silver Content : 30-47 g/lt.
Free Potassium Cyanide : 150-260 g/lt.
Potassium Carbonate : 40-60 g/lt.
pH Value : 12-12.5 (increase the pH by Potassium Hydroxide and reduce by Potassium
bicarbonate.

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BATH PREPARATION :

The silver solution should be prepared in the storage tank which has been thoroughly cleaned with good water. The lining
of the tanks, filters etc. should be leached with 10% Caustic Potash Solution and allow to stand over night. The tank
should then be cleaned with fresh water and finally with DM. / distilled water.

The solution should be prepared in either in the plating tank itself or preferably in an auxiliary tank of suitable capacity.
The solution is prepared as follows –

1. Fill the auxiliary tank 2/3 full of D.M. water / distilled water.
2. Add required quantity of Silvernix Bright Silver Salt with stirring, continue the stirring until all the salt is
completely dissolved.
3. Add approved quantity of activated carbon (1-2g/lt.) and stir well for 30 min. and allow this solution to settle
over night.
4. Run the filter continuously until the solution becomes clear. Then transfer to the plating tank and clean the
filter unit.
5. Add required quantity of Argobrite Brightener No.1 to the bath under strong stirring. Filter the solution through
a clean filter pump.
6. Add DM water or distilled water to make up the level and then add the required quantity of Argobrite Carrier
Additive under stirring. The solution is now ready for plating operation.

Bath Control and Regeneration :

The regenerants can only be determined by an analysis of plating solution.

Regular electrolyte control are made by our laboratory on request.

Addition of Brighteners (General Purpose) :

Argobrite Brightener No.1 : approx. 500-750 ml/KAH (according to bath load)

Argobrite Carrier Additive : approx. 500 ml / KAH or more (according to carry over)

For correct bath control, we recommend the use of Amp. hour meter.

Brightener Consumption : for Anklets (Payals) silver on silver

Argobrite Brightener No.1 : 2-2.5 ml/kg. (according to bath load)
Argobrite Carrier Additive : 1-1.5 ml/kg. (according to carry over)

Brighteners Function :

Argobrite Brightener No.1 : Main brightening agent responsible for producing mirror bright deposit in combination
with carrier additive. The brightener should be added to the bath after the end of the working period under strong stirring
for aging the brightener.

Argobrite Carrier Additive : Auxiliary addition agent which does not produce brightness of its own, but enhance
the effect of Argobrite Brightener and widens the bright current density range. Argobrite Carrier Additive gives white silver
colour in lower current density range and more yellowish colour in higher current density range and therefore, do not add
too much Argobrite Carrier Additive.

ANALYTICAL METHODS - Silver Plating Solution

Silver Metal:

Pipette 2 ml solution into a 300 ml Erlenmeyer flask.

In a fume cupboard add carefully 10 ml conc. Sulphuric Acid and 10 ml conc. Nitric Acid.

Boil until the Silver Sulphate formed has dissolved ( till dense white fumes observed in flask)

Cool and add 100 ml distilled water and add pinch of Ferric Ammonium Sulphate

Titrate with 0.1 N Potassium Thiocyanate solution to brown end point (vol = A ml)

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 A × 5.4 × Normality of Potassium Thiocyanate
Calculation : —————————————————————— = g/lt. of Silver
0.1 N KSCN
Free Cyanide :

Pipette 2 ml solution into a 300 ml Erlenmeyer flask.

Add 100 ml distilled water and a pinch of Potassium Iodide solution.

Titrate with 0.1 N Silver Nitrate solution to a cloudy end point (vol = B ml).

B × 6.5 × Normality of Silver Nitrate

Calculation : —————————————————— = g/lt. of Potassium
0.1 N AgNO3 Cyanide

Potassium Carbonate :

Pipette 10 ml solution into a 600 ml beaker, and add 300 ml distilled water and 20 ml Barium chloride solution
(30% i.e. 300 g/lt.)

Bring to the boil.

Let precipitate settle and filter through a filter paper. Rinse the beaker and precipitate thoroughly with boiling
water.

Return the filter paper with precipitate to the beaker.

Add 200 ml cold water and stir.

Add 6 drops methyl orange indicator and titrate with 1 N Hydrochloric Acid to pink endpoint (vol = C ml)

C × 6.91 × Normality of Hydrochloric Acid

Calculation : ————————————————————— = g/lt. Potassium
1 N HCl Carbonate

Operating Condition for Hull Cell Testing :

The brightener additions are best controlled by conducting Hull Cell Tests every day. A 267 ml. Std. Cell is used under
the following conditions.

Current : 0.5 amp

Time : 5.0 minutes
Agitation : Mechanical
Temperature : 20-25 0C
Anode : Pure Silver
Cathode : Polished Brass

The resulting deposit should be mirror bright over nearly the entire panel.

FUNCTION OF BATH CONSTITUENTS : Trouble Shooting

Constituents Cause Remedy

1. Silver Metal Low Silver Metal Content Add required quantity

Reduces the High Current of Silver salt or Silver
Density operation and Potassium Cyanide
Brightness of the deposit.

2. Free Potassium If free cyanide falls too low, Free Cyanide maintain
Cyanide bright plating ranges gets within the range by the
reduced and the deposit addition of Potassium
brightness gets reduced Cyanide.
especially in the low current
density range.
An excess of cyanide is not
harmful but increases the
burning tendency in the
high current density range.

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Free Cyanide :

Pipette 2 ml solution into a 300 ml Erlenmeyer flask.

Add 100 ml distilled water and a pinch of Potassium Iodide solution.

Titrate with 0.1 N Silver Nitrate solution to a cloudy end point (vol = B ml).
B × 6.5 × Normality of Silver Nitrate
Calculation : —————————————————— = g/lt. of Potassium
0.1 N AgNO3 Cyanide

Potassium Carbonate :

Pipette 10 ml solution into a 600 ml beaker, and add 300 ml distilled water and 20 ml Barium chloride solution
(30% i.e. 300 g/lt.)

Bring to the boil.

Let precipitate settle and filter through a filter paper. Rinse the beaker and precipitate thoroughly with boiling
water.

Return the filter paper with precipitate to the beaker.

Add 200 ml cold water and stir.

Add 6 drops methyl orange indicator and titrate with 1 N Hydrochloric Acid to pink endpoint (vol = C ml)

C × 6.91 × Normality of Hydrochloric Acid

Calculation : ————————————————————— = g/lt. Potassium
1 N HCl Carbonate

Operating Condition for Hull Cell Testing :

The brightener additions are best controlled by conducting Hull Cell Tests every day. A 267 ml. Std. Cell is used under
the following conditions.

Current : 0.5 amp

Time : 5.0 minutes
Agitation : Mechanical
Temperature : 20-25 0C
Anode : Pure Silver
Cathode : Polished Brass

The resulting deposit should be mirror bright over nearly the entire panel.

FUNCTION OF BATH CONSTITUENTS : Trouble Shooting

Constituents Cause Remedy

1. Silver Metal Low Silver Metal Content Add required quantity

Reduces the High Current of Silver salt or Silver
Density operation and Potassium Cyanide
Brightness of the deposit.

2. Free Potassium If free cyanide falls too low, Free Cyanide maintain
Cyanide bright plating ranges gets within the range by the
reduced and the deposit addition of Potassium
brightness gets reduced Cyanide.
especially in the low current
density range.
An excess of cyanide is not
harmful but increases the
burning tendency in the
high current density range.

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 3. Potassium Not more than 81.56g/lt. It can be removed by
Carbonate An excess of Potassium addition of Calcium
Carbonate, reduce the Nitrate, Calcium
tendency of the bath to Hydroxide, and Barium
form Ferro Cyanides from Cyanide etc.
the sides of an unlined steel 1g Pot. Carbonate
tank. = 1.2g of Calcium Nitrate
= 0.5g of Calcium Hydroxide
= 1.4g Barium Cyanide
4. Potassium Not more than 18.7 g/lt. Keep up the alkalinity
Hydroxide Its large excess, causes of the bath and retard
rough, porous deposit the decomposition of
Cyanide by maintaining
the pH between 12-12.5.

TROUBLE SHOOTING :-

Cause Remedy

1. Burn Deposit 1. Reduce the Current Density

2. Increase the metal content
3. Increase the temp.
4. Increase the solution Agitation.

2. Blisters 1. Poor cleaning

2. Acid or cleaner not completely rinsed out of holes or recess area.
3. Small amount of chromic acid solution.

3. Rough Deposit 1. Suspended Solids

2. Particles from unbagged anodes.
3. Metallic impurities such as pb, Bi, Mn, Te, Se, S and Sb.

4. Polarised anodes 1.Excessive anodes Current Density

2. Exceptionally high Carbonate content
3. Low - Free Cyanide
4. Excessive high metal content.
IMPURITIES :

Cu - Less than 2.5 g/lt. - No discolour silver deposit

Above 6.2 g/lt. - Darken Deposit It can be removed by dummy.

Fe - Small amount of Fe - causes stains on deposit. Large amount of Fe - lead

to formation of Ferrocyanide, which crystallize out on the anodes or on work
being plated as Sodium or Potassium Ferrocyanide.

It can be removed by cooling the solution to 30C and filtering of the

precipitated as Ferrocyanide.

pb - Lead at very low conc. acts as a brightener If it exceeds 0.125g/lt. brittle

and rough deposit observed. If the lead contamination is accompanied by
the presence of Chloride ions, lead will deposit as smut on the high current
density areas.

Chloride - Chlorides accelerate the attack of the solution on unlined steel tank. If the
chloride conc. is very high, the silver deposit will have an iridescent appearance.

Organic Impurities - Removed by activated carbon treatment and filtration

Issued On : 30-09-02
Supersedes all earlier

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