US3869371A - Electrotinning wire - Google Patents

Electrotinning wire Download PDF

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Publication number
US3869371A
US3869371A US381954A US38195473A US3869371A US 3869371 A US3869371 A US 3869371A US 381954 A US381954 A US 381954A US 38195473 A US38195473 A US 38195473A US 3869371 A US3869371 A US 3869371A
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United States
Prior art keywords
tank
wire
bath
electrolyte
housing
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US381954A
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English (en)
Inventor
James Delves-Broughton
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STC PLC
Original Assignee
International Standard Electric Corp
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Publication date
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Assigned to STC PLC reassignment STC PLC ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ELECTRIC CORPORATION, A DE CORP.
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25D—PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25D7/00—Electroplating characterised by the article coated
    • C25D7/06—Wires; Strips; Foils
    • C25D7/0607—Wires
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25D—PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25D3/00—Electroplating: Baths therefor
    • C25D3/02—Electroplating: Baths therefor from solutions
    • C25D3/30—Electroplating: Baths therefor from solutions of tin

Definitions

  • the wires pass through a tank having a bank-of anodes'and are guided by grooved rollers ytic apparar tinning wire provides a plurality of loops of wire simultaneously in opposite directions through the electrolyte. Alternate loops in a common dr Inventor: James Delves-Broughton, Mathern, England Assignee: International Standard Electric Corporation, New York, NY.
  • One known method of continuously electrotinning a copper wire employs stannous sulphate for the electrolyte.
  • This methodv basically comprises passing a longitudinally moving .copper wire a plurality'of times through an electrolyte tank, each time passing the wire around an electrically conducting driven grooved drum which is' connected to the negative pole of a dc. current source, and a separate one of a plurality of insulating pulleys, the anodic current being supplied via anodes of tin immersed in the electrolyte.
  • the apparatus is such that the wire is horizontal when being plated and passes alternately through two plating tanks which are arranged one above the other between the pulleys and the drum.
  • electrolyte current densities of the order of 100 amps per square ft. are employed and the wire moves at a rate of 500 ft. per minute, the plating thickness being built up gradually during-passage through the electrolyte.
  • Electolytes such as stannous fluoborate, which are capable of higher current densities of the order of, for example, 400 amps per sq; ft. are now available, with the result that with the same basic known method and apparatus, plating rates four times greater than obtainable with stannous sulphate can be achieved.
  • stannous fluoborate for the electrolyte, however, results in a number of practical problems.
  • the highly corrosive nature of the electrolyte means that plastics materials or rubber lined steel must be used for the tanks, pipework and pumps.
  • the tin anodes are positioned in the electrolyte tanks below the moving wire, but this produces problems, when using stannous fluoborate, in the method of contacting the anodes to the bus bars therefor, so that the latter are not corroded.
  • the wire In order to cope with the high current density (400 amps per sq. .ft.), the wire must be arranged'to pass in sufficient loops through the electrolyte'tanks so. -as to pass the current without causing overheating.
  • the wire In order to cope with the high current density (400 amps per sq. .ft.), the wire must be arranged'to pass in sufficient loops through the electrolyte'tanks so. -as to pass the current without
  • apparatus for use in passing a longitudinally moving elongate article a plurality of times through a bath containing a liquid.
  • an apparatus for continuously depositing a metal coating on a longitudinally moving wire comprising passing the wire a plurality of times through a bath containing an electrolyte consisting of asolution ofa salt of the metal to be deposited, each time passing the wire in a loop around two rotatable conducting drums, at least one of which is connected to the negative pole ofa source of direct current, at least a portion of both sections of each wire loop between the drums being in a substantially common horizontal plane and passing through the electrolyte bath with the wire loop sections alternating so that adjacent sections move in.
  • anodic current being supplied via one or more anodes of the metal to be deposited which extend into the electrolyte.
  • the bath is positioned between the drums, spacing and deflector means being positioned between the bath and the drums so as to cause the portions of the wire loop sections passing through the bath to be in a substantially common horizontal plane with alternate wire loop sections moving in opposite directions.
  • FIG. 1 schematically shows a side view of apparatus for use in electrotinning a wire according to one embodiment of the present invention, with the oppositely directed portions of. the wire shown having a vertical displacement for illustrative'purposes only,
  • FIG. 2 schematically shows a side view of apparatus for use in electrotinning a wire according to another embodiment similar to'that of FIG. I, and
  • FIG. 3 shows a partly'cutaway schematic view of the apparatus according to FIG. 2;
  • one known method ofcontinuously electro -tinning wire consists of passing a wire in a series of loops around a conductive cathode contact grooved roller and a plurality of insulating roling the wire at high speed through the tanks will causespillover of the electrolyte from the tanks, which spill: overoccurs at opposite ends thereof.
  • the present invention is based on the recognition that if the two oppositely directed motions of the wire sections take place in approximately the same horizontal plane in a single tank or bath of electrolyte, with the sections of wire moving in one direction being alternatedwiththe sections moving in the oppositedirection, then the effects of drag in one direction will be at loops may be brought into substantially the same plane by lifting the lower sections 2 (FIG. 1) or lowering the upper sections 1 (FIG. 2).
  • This can be readily achieved by use of insulating grooved spacing and deflector rollers, 3, which are ofa material that is unaffected by the electrolyte in the tank or bath 4, such as a plastics material. Both.
  • sections of the wire loops therefore pass through the same electrolyte tank 4, and the way in whichthey pass into the tank and the way in which the tank is maintained with a certain level of'electrolyte, are similar to those used for conventional two tank plating'arrangements. These involve the'use of electrolyte reservoirs and pumps for replenishing the tank with electrolyte in place of that which has escaped via ports in the tank walls through which the wire enters and leaves the tank 4.
  • this arrangement of both sections of the wire loops within the same tank facilitates the arrangement of the anodes since they may be suspended from a bus bar arrangement above the tank so that they dip into the electrolyte.
  • This arrangement ensures that the bus bar 8 and the anode supports (loops) 5 do not come into contact with the electrolyte and are, therefore, not-corroded thereby.
  • Splash guards as shown schematically'at 11 in FIG. 2, are used to prevent electrolyte coming into contact with the bus bar, etc.
  • FIG. 2 The arrangement shown in FIG. 2 is shown in substantially greater detail in FIG. 3.
  • the apparatus comprises two rotatable cathode drums-6 and 7,
  • the drums 6 and 7 are electri cally conductive, i.e., bronze coated, at least on their outer surface, with which the wire 12 is in contact, and they are electrically connected to a common source of negative potential.
  • the drum 7 is freely rotatable on a shaft 13, whilst the drum 6 is provided with a shaft 14 by means of which it can be driven by a motor (not shown). Both drums and shafts are provided with slip rings and brush, gear for making the cathode Contact.
  • the drum equivalent to drum 6 is provided with circumferential grooves for guiding and separation of theloops ofwire, but in the'apparatus of the present invention it is not necessary to provide grooves on the drums 6 and 7 since the grooved spacing and deflection rollers 3 perform the same functions and, being ofplastics material, are cheaper to provide with grooves, which may be molded therein, rather than the machining necessary of a metallic drum.
  • the rollers 3 are rotatable about axles (not shown). The whole arrangement is provided within a housing 15 which is provided with shown) may be located above the tank 4 to facilitate loading and unloading of the electrodes.
  • an unplated copper wire 12 of, for example, 0.08 inches diameter is passed into the housing 15 via an entry port 16, after passing through a suitable degreasing process, fed under drum 6 and roller 3, through the tank 4, under roller 3, over and around drum 7, under roller 3, back through the tank 4, under roller 3, under and around the drum 6, thus forming one loop of wire, and back around the same course to form a total of 12 or 13 loops in all, each loop being separated from the others by location in separate ones of the grooves in rollers 3.
  • the plated wire finally emerges from the apparatus in the direction of arrow 17.
  • the exit direction is preferably vertical as shown, so that gravity assists in returning electrolyte to the apparatus from the plated wire, which-is subsequently thoroughly rinsed before being taken up on a driven takeup spool.
  • plastics pulleys' should be used for guiding the plated wire from the plating apparatus to the takeup spool.
  • the electrolyte comprises 26.8 ounces per gallon of-tin fluoborate, 10.8 ounces per gallon of tin (as metal), 6.7 ounces per gallon of free fluoboric acid,
  • the anodes are each of pure tin and may be made in a conventional manner.
  • the tank 4 In order to plate the copper wire with a radial thickness of, for example, approximately X 10 inches oftin at a speed of 2,000 ft. per minute (thus permitting a coating of 25 X 10' inches to be obtained on a 0.02 diameter wire after a 4 to 1 diameter reduction at a subsequent wire drawing process,) with the wire passing in 12 to 13'loops, the tank 4 must be approximately 10 feet long.
  • the electrolyte and cathode current density is of the' I order-of 400 amps per square ft.. at approximately the apparatus with a reasonable time between anode changes, e.g., 50 hours, the initial anode weight should be approximately 700-800 lbs., i.e., 40 anodes each weighing 20 lbs., since there must always be some residual tin left on the anodes; The remaining anode tin can be recast into new anodes in the conventional manner.
  • the bronze coated drums 6 and 7 provide sufficient contact area with the'wire loops to reduce overheating of the wire which is required to transmit plating currents of 2,000 amps. which are considerably greater than the hitherto employed 500 amps.
  • the apparatus of the present invention therefore makes it possible to utilize high'current density electrolytes effectively, by providing adequate platingcurrent without overheating the wire and whilst overcoming fluid drag problemsassociated with high speed running.
  • the basic apparatus of the invention may also be used in connection with other elongate members, for example insulated conductors, the bath being filled with, for example, water or degreasing fluids, in situations where hydrodynamic drag effects are likely to occur,
  • the drums may, alternatively, be both nondriven and pulling-through may be achieved purely by driven take-up-means arranged adjacent the exit of the apparatus.
  • the spacing and deflector rollers may alternatively be composed of pluralities of separate pulleys arranged on common axles.
  • Apparatus for continuously depositing a metal coating on a longitudinally moving wire comprising a housing, a tank in said housing for a bath containing an electrolyte including a salt of the metal to be deposited,
  • said means including a pair of rotatable electrically conducting drums respectively positioned within said housing at opposite ends outside of said tank directing said wire into a plurality ofloops, direct current supply means, atleast one of said drums being connected to the negative terminal of said supply means, a pair of grooved rollers posiloops passing through said bath to be in a substantially common horizontal plane with alternate wires moving.
  • Apparatus for use in passing a longitudinally mov ing wire a plurality of times through a liquid bath com prising a housing, a tank in said housing for containing said bath, a pair of rotatable drums respectively positioned in said housing at opposite ends of said tank directing said wire into a plurality of wire loops passing through said bath and end walls of said tank, and a pair of grooved rollers positioned respectively between said opposite ends of said tank and said drums so as to cause said wire loops passing through said bath to be in a sub stantially common horizontal plane with alternate wires moving in opposite directions, said housing collecting electrolyte escaping from said tank and providing a source of electrolyte for said tank.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Electrochemistry (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Electroplating Methods And Accessories (AREA)
  • Coating With Molten Metal (AREA)
US381954A 1972-07-27 1973-07-23 Electrotinning wire Expired - Lifetime US3869371A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB3508972A GB1369323A (en) 1972-07-27 1972-07-27 Method of and apparatus for continuously electro depositing a metal coating on a longitudinally moving wire

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3869371A true US3869371A (en) 1975-03-04

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ID=10373676

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US381954A Expired - Lifetime US3869371A (en) 1972-07-27 1973-07-23 Electrotinning wire

Country Status (12)

Country Link
US (1) US3869371A (fr)
JP (1) JPS5543518B2 (fr)
BR (1) BR7305744D0 (fr)
CA (1) CA1010403A (fr)
CH (1) CH606506A5 (fr)
ES (1) ES417313A1 (fr)
FR (1) FR2194796B1 (fr)
GB (1) GB1369323A (fr)
IN (1) IN138154B (fr)
IT (1) IT992689B (fr)
SE (1) SE401530B (fr)
ZA (1) ZA733915B (fr)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5087342A (en) * 1988-04-07 1992-02-11 Seneca Wire And Manufacturing Company Continuous steel strand electrolytic processing
WO1994010361A1 (fr) * 1992-10-26 1994-05-11 Asarco Incorporated Procede et appareil de production electrolytique de fil de cuivre
CN102067387A (zh) * 2008-07-03 2011-05-18 住友电装株式会社 连接器和用于制造所述连接器的方法

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5277834A (en) * 1975-12-23 1977-06-30 Showa Electric Wire & Cable Co Apparatus for electroplating metallic wire
JPH07116636B2 (ja) * 1986-09-26 1995-12-13 川崎製鉄株式会社 ラジアル型めつきセル

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US830093A (en) * 1902-06-18 1906-09-04 American Steel & Wire Co Apparatus for galvanizing wire.
US1157288A (en) * 1912-01-31 1915-10-19 Gen Electric Manufacture of fine refractory-metal wires.
US1853437A (en) * 1927-03-22 1932-04-12 Kuttner Ernst Wolfgang Process for producing an insulating coating on articles containing aluminum
US2823180A (en) * 1953-11-25 1958-02-11 Rothschild Edgar Method and means for coating wires
US3474009A (en) * 1966-03-07 1969-10-21 Kennecott Copper Corp Process and apparatus for the production of elongated metal articles
US3676322A (en) * 1970-01-06 1972-07-11 Furukawa Electric Co Ltd Apparatus and method for continuous production of electrolytically treated wires

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2057393A5 (en) * 1969-08-14 1971-05-21 Burger Francois Continuous coating copper wire with hard - metal

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US830093A (en) * 1902-06-18 1906-09-04 American Steel & Wire Co Apparatus for galvanizing wire.
US1157288A (en) * 1912-01-31 1915-10-19 Gen Electric Manufacture of fine refractory-metal wires.
US1853437A (en) * 1927-03-22 1932-04-12 Kuttner Ernst Wolfgang Process for producing an insulating coating on articles containing aluminum
US2823180A (en) * 1953-11-25 1958-02-11 Rothschild Edgar Method and means for coating wires
US3474009A (en) * 1966-03-07 1969-10-21 Kennecott Copper Corp Process and apparatus for the production of elongated metal articles
US3676322A (en) * 1970-01-06 1972-07-11 Furukawa Electric Co Ltd Apparatus and method for continuous production of electrolytically treated wires

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5087342A (en) * 1988-04-07 1992-02-11 Seneca Wire And Manufacturing Company Continuous steel strand electrolytic processing
WO1994010361A1 (fr) * 1992-10-26 1994-05-11 Asarco Incorporated Procede et appareil de production electrolytique de fil de cuivre
AU678989B2 (en) * 1992-10-26 1997-06-19 Asarco Incorporated Method and apparatus for the electrolytic production of copper wire
CN102067387A (zh) * 2008-07-03 2011-05-18 住友电装株式会社 连接器和用于制造所述连接器的方法
US20120216400A1 (en) * 2008-07-03 2012-08-30 Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd. Connector and method for producing the same
US8398437B2 (en) * 2008-07-03 2013-03-19 Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd. Connector and method for producing the same
CN102067387B (zh) * 2008-07-03 2013-09-18 住友电装株式会社 连接器和用于制造所述连接器的方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ZA733915B (en) 1974-04-24
CA1010403A (en) 1977-05-17
IT992689B (it) 1975-09-30
CH606506A5 (fr) 1978-10-31
GB1369323A (en) 1974-10-02
BR7305744D0 (pt) 1974-06-27
FR2194796B1 (fr) 1977-05-13
JPS5033936A (fr) 1975-04-02
SE401530B (sv) 1978-05-16
ES417313A1 (es) 1976-03-16
JPS5543518B2 (fr) 1980-11-06
FR2194796A1 (fr) 1974-03-01
AU5809873A (en) 1975-01-16
IN138154B (fr) 1975-12-27

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Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: STC PLC, 10 MALTRAVERS STREET, LONDON, WC2R 3HA, E

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ELECTRIC CORPORATION, A DE CORP.;REEL/FRAME:004761/0721

Effective date: 19870423

Owner name: STC PLC,ENGLAND

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ELECTRIC CORPORATION, A DE CORP.;REEL/FRAME:004761/0721

Effective date: 19870423