What are the adverse effects of unclean water washing?

27 Mar.,2025

Why is it said that in order to ensure the quality of electroplating, the water washing step in the electroplating process cannot be ignored? To answer this question, we can interpret it from the purpose of water washing. Water washing is to remove impurities, residual electrolyte, and reaction products on the surface of the electroplated workpiece. If the water cannot be washed clean, what proble

 

Author: Marisa

Why is it said that in order to ensure the quality of electroplating, the water washing step in the electroplating process cannot be ignored? To answer this question, we can interpret it from the purpose of water washing. Water washing is to remove impurities, residual electrolyte, and reaction products on the surface of the electroplated workpiece. If the water cannot be washed clean, what problems will it cause? What kind of dehydrating agent should we choose to solve the problem?

 

1. Reduce adhesion: The adhesion between the electroplated layer and the substrate may be affected by incomplete water washing. Impurities remaining on the surface of the substrate can hinder the uniform deposition of the plating layer, resulting in weak adhesion between the plating layer and the substrate.

 

2. Impact on appearance: Residue may cause watermarks, spots, or stripes on the plating layer, which can affect the appearance quality of the product. Visual issues can easily be noticed by users and may result in product returns or complaints. To solve this problem, you can use a dehydrating agent after washing with water.


3. Causes corrosion: If there are still corrosive chemicals remaining on the surface of the substrate after water washing, even if a plating layer is applied, these chemicals may slowly corrode the plating layer and substrate, thereby reducing the service life of the plated parts.

 

4. Formation of pores and inclusions: During the electroplating stage, uncleaned substrate surfaces may cause bubbles or other inclusions to be embedded in the electroplated layer, resulting in uneven internal structure of the electroplated layer and affecting its physical properties such as hardness and strength.

 

5. Uneven quality of electroplating layer: Due to incomplete surface cleaning, uneven coverage and thickness of electroplating layer may be formed during electroplating, which will affect the performance and service life of the electroplated parts.

 

6. Low current efficiency: Unclean insulating dirt on the surface can affect current distribution, which may cause low or high current density in some areas, leading to a decrease in electroplating efficiency.

 

7. Increasing the difficulty of subsequent processing: Unclean impurities during subsequent polishing, sandblasting, or other surface treatment processes can increase the difficulty of work and may damage equipment and tools.

 

In order to avoid the adverse effects mentioned above, the water washing step in the electroplating process needs to strictly control factors such as water quality, temperature, flow rate, and time to ensure that the substrate surface is thoroughly and effectively cleaned before and after electroplating. At the same time, in order to ensure the quality of the coating, we can use professional dehydrating agents for treatment after washing, which can quickly complete the drying of the workpiece, thus avoiding problems such as watermarks and saving energy costs.