(12) United States Patent (10) Patent N0.: US 7,163,915 B2 Gernon Et Al
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US007163915B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent N0.: US 7,163,915 B2 Gernon et al. (45) Date of Patent: Jan. 16, 2007 (54) AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS CONTAINING (56) References Cited DITHIONIC ACID AND/OR METAL DITHIONATE FOR METAL FINISHING U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 2,717,870 A * 9/1955 Dean ........................ .. 205/262 (75) Inventors: Michael D. Gernon, Upper Providence, 4,130,431 A * 12/1978 Kogure .................. .. 106/14.33 PA (US); Sandra L. Bodar, 5,441,665 A * 8/1995 Massaioli ................. .. 510/169 Coulommiers (FR) 5,547,559 A * 8/1996 Kukanskis et a1. 205/125 5,718,818 A * 2/1998 Martyak et a1. .... .. 205/305 (73) Assignee: Arkema Inc., Philadelphia, PA (US) 5,747,635 A * 5/1998 Kroner et a1. 528/328 5,788,822 A * 8/1998 Martyak et a1. .......... .. 205/313 (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this 6,585,812 B1* 7/2003 Martyak et a1. ....... .. 106/1444 patent is extended or adjusted under 35 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS U.S.C. 154(b) by 421 days. DE 19639174 4/1997 (21) Appl. No.: 10/723,921 JP 08269726 A 10/1996 JP 08269727 A 10/1996 Filed: Nov. 26, 2003 (22) * cited by examiner (65) Prior Publication Data Primary Examiner4Gregory Webb US 2004/0082489 A1 Apr. 29, 2004 (74) Attorney, Agent, or F irmiSteven D. Boyd Related US. Application Data (57) ABSTRACT (62) Division of application No. 09/791,224, ?led on Feb. This invention relates to solutions of dithionic acid and/or 22, 2001, noW abandoned. dithionate salts Which use in metal ?nishing processes such (60) Provisional application No. 60/ 186,097, ?led on Mar. those used for the cleaning, activating, electroplating, elec 1, 2000. troless plating, conversion coating and/or other pre-treat ment or post-treatment of a metallic surface. In particular the (51) Int. Cl. solutions are a useful electrolyte for the electroplating of C25D 5/02 (2006.01) metallic coatings, especially, Sn, Cu, Ni, Zn and precious (52) US. Cl. .................. .. 510/245; 205/305; 106/14.44 metals, onto metal or plastic substrates and/or other surfaces. (58) Field of Classi?cation Search ................... .. None See application ?le for complete search history. 16 Claims, No Drawings US 7,163,915 B2 1 2 AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS CONTAINING Another embodiment is an aqueous solution of ammo DITHIONIC ACID AND/OR METAL nium, IA metal and/ or IIA metal dithionate salts for cleaning DITHIONATE FOR METAL FINISHING and activating metal, plastic and/or other surfaces. Another embodiment is an electroless or immersion plat REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION ing composition Which contains free dithionic acid. Another embodiment is an electroless or immersion plat This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. ing composition, other than one for nickel or palladium, 09/791,224, ?led Feb. 22, 2001, noW abandoned, Which Which contains dissolved metal or ammonium dithionate claims the bene?t of US. Provisional Application Ser. No. salts. 60/186,097, ?led Mar. 1, 2000. Another embodiment is an electroless or immersion plat ing composition for nickel or palladium, Which contains BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION dissolved nickel dithionate, palladium dithionate, other metal dithionate or ammonium dithionate salts at concen 1. Field of the Invention trations greater than 0.1 M. This invention relates to solutions useful in metal ?nish Another embodiment is the use of an solution containing ing processes. In particular it relates to solutions containing dissolved metal or ammonium dithionate as a rust removing dithionic acid and/or dithionate salts. agent. 2. Description of the Prior Art Another embodiment is the use of compositions of the Known plating electrolytes include, for instance, alkaline invention as an electroless or immersion plating solution in cyanide, acidic sulfate, acidic phosphate, acidic ?uoborate 20 an electroless or immersion tin plating system. and acidic methanesulfonate systems. These various elec Another embodiment is an electroplating process employ trolytes are selected by industrial practitioners of metal ing a composition of the invention. ?nishing based on the relative advantages they offer for Another embodiment is a metal, semiconductor or plastic performance, quality and environmental compatibility. surface treatment process employing a composition of the The industry is constantly seeking neW and improved 25 invention. electrolyte systems for the ?nishing of metal substrates Another embodiment is a metal ?nishing process employ Which alloW for favorable differentiation of plating pro ing a composition of the invention. cesses relating, for instance, to electroplating speed, perfor mance and electrodeposit quality. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE Kubo, M.; Kamitamari, T.; Hotsuta, T.; Masamoto, H.; 30 INVENTION Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho JP 08269727 A2, Oct. 15, 1996, assigned to Uemura Kogyo, discloses the use of an inorganic The description Which folloWs sets forth additional fea sulfur compound selected from thiosulfate, polythhionate, tures and advantages of the invention Which, in part, Will dithionite, sul?te and dithionate at an amount of 0.01 to 10 become apparent from the description or learned by practice mmol/L as an additive in an electroless palladium coating 35 of the invention. The skilled artisan Will realiZe the objec bath containing a palladium salt, a reductant selected from tives and other advantages of the invention obtained by H3PO2 and its salts, H3PO3 and its salts, hydroborides, and process and compositions of matter particularly pointed out amine borane, and complexing agent selected from NH3 and in the Written description and claims hereof. amines. Dithionic acid has the molecular formula H2S2O6 (CAS 40 Registry # 14970-71-9). Dithionic acid and salts derived Uchida, H et al, Kokai, Tokkyo Koho JP 08269726 A2 from dithionic acid are the basis of the compositions and and Uchida, H et al, German Olfen. DE 19639174 A1 both processes of the present invention. disclose a solution for electroless coating of nickel. The Alkaline, neutral and acidic dithionate based electrolytes solution contains a Water soluble nickel salt, a reducing offer numerous advantages With respect to poWer consump agent, a complexing agent and a compound having SiS tion, process performance and quality for a number of bonds, such as, thiosulfate, dithionate, dithionite, and poly 45 thionate. industrially important metal ?nishing processes. A Electrolyte@ as used herein means any conducting aqueous or mixed aqueous solution Which can be used as the SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION basis for a formulated metal ?nishing product. 50 A Metal ?nishing@ as used herein is meant to encompass One embodiment of the invention is an aqueous solution all processes used for the cleaning, activating, electroplat of dithionic acid and/or dithionate salts Which serves as a ing, electroless plating, conversion coating and/or other useful electrolyte for the electroplating of metallic coatings, pre-treatment or post-treatment of a metallic surface, semi especially, Sn, Cu, Ni, Zn and precious metals, onto metal or conductor, glass or hard plastic. plastic substrates and/or other surfaces. 55 The differentiation betWeen an additive and an electrolyte Another embodiment is a metal ?nishing solution com component as based on concentration is not de?nite. An position Which contains free dithionic acid. additive is something Which is added to enhance certain Another embodiment is an electroplating solution com aspects of the surface (cleaned, electroplated or Whatever) position Which contains free dithionic acid. quality. An electrolyte component is something Which pro Another embodiment is an electroplating solution com 60 vides for solubility, conductivity, process ef?ciency, deposit position Which contains metal or ammonium dithionate quality and other things. salts. The folloWing ranges are indicated: Another embodiment is a surface cleaning solution com For Electroplating, Electroless Plating, Immersion Plat position Which contains free dithionic acid. ing, one can use dithionic acid up to 60% by Weight, Another embodiment is a surface cleaning solution com 65 preferred is 0.1% to 25% by Weight, more preferred is 1% position for a substrate, other than copper, Which contains to 18% by Weight. Aqueous dithionic acid solutions become metal or ammonium dithionate salts. less stable as the acidity of the solution is increased. The US 7,163,915 B2 3 4 preferred range for dithionic acid is up to 25% by Weight potassium, calcium, copper, Zinc, nickel, tin, ammonium (stable in this range), but higher levels are occasionally and/or other metal dithionates, are added to the cleaning useful. The instability of the acid at higher free acid levels and/or activating solutions as a means of improving the is something that needs to be balanced against its perfor performance of these solutions. mance at higher acid levels. Metal dithionates can be used Electroless plating solutions are similar to electroplating up to their saturation solubility, preferred is 0.01M to 2M in solutions except that a chemical reducing agent is used in metal, more preferred is 0.1M to IM in metal. The metals place of cathodic current for the deposition of the metal employed may be the metals plated and/or they may be other layer(s). In this invention, dithionic acid and/or metal metals used to provide peripheral bene?ts like conductivity. dithionates, such as the sodium, potassium, calcium, copper, A generally preferred range for the metal dithionates added Zinc, nickel, tin, lead, ammonium and/ or other metal dithion for peripheral bene?ts is from 0.001M to 5M in metal, ate salts, are added to electroless plating formulations as a preferred is 0.01M to 2M in metal, more preferred is 0.1M means of improving the performance of these formualtions. to IM in metal. Immersion plating solutions are similar to electroplating For Surface Activating, Cleaning, Pre-Treatment, Post solutions except that oxidative dissolution of an active Treatment, Rust Removal, one can use dithionic acid up to substrate metal replaces cathodic current as the means for 60% by Weight, preferred is 0.1% to 25% by Weight, more the deposition of a more nobel metal layer(s).