US 12,320,027 B2
Membrane anode system for electrolytic zinc-nickel alloy deposition
Steven Leonhard, Berlin (DE); and Thomas Freese, Berlin (DE)
Assigned to Atotech Deutschland GmbH, Berlin (DE)
Appl. No. 17/422,877
Filed by Atotech Deutschland GmbH, Berlin (DE)
PCT Filed Jan. 22, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/051482
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 14, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/152208, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 19153419 (EP), filed on Jan. 24, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0119978 A1, Apr. 21, 2022
Int. Cl. C25D 3/56 (2006.01); C25D 3/22 (2006.01); C25D 17/00 (2006.01); C25D 17/10 (2006.01); C25D 21/12 (2006.01); C25D 21/18 (2006.01)
CPC C25D 17/002 (2013.01) [C25D 3/22 (2013.01); C25D 17/10 (2013.01); C25D 21/12 (2013.01); C25D 21/18 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
 
1. Method for electrolytic deposition of a zinc-nickel alloy layer on a substrate to be treated characterized in that the method comprises:
providing a membrane anode system comprising:
at least one reaction tank,
at least one first membrane,
at least one anode,
at least one cathode,
at least one first anolyte compartment formed between the at least one first membrane and the at least one anode;
at least one first non-metallic front plate having a plurality of openings;
at least one non-metallic container,
at least one first sealing element, and
at least one catholyte compartment formed between the at least one first non-metallic front plate and the at least one cathode, wherein the at least one catholyte compartment contains a zinc and nickel electrolyte solution;
wherein the membrane anode system is characterized in that the at least one first membrane is arranged between the at least one anode and the at least one cathode, wherein the at least one first membrane has a distance to the at least one anode ranging from 0.5 mm to 5 mm, and
wherein the at least one first membrane, the at least one anode, the at least one first anolyte compartment, the at least one first non-metallic front plate, the at least one first non-metallic container, and the at least one first sealing element form together a one-sided membrane anode modular unit,
wherein the at least one first membrane, the at least one first anolyte compartment, and the at least one anode are encapsulated by the combination of the at least one first non-metallic front plate and the at least one first non-metallic container,
wherein the at least one first non-metallic front plate and the at least one non-metallic container are sealed to each other by the at least one sealing element, and
wherein the at least one anode can be individually removed from or inserted into the one-sided membrane anode modular unit without that the entire at least one-sided membrane anode modular unit has to be removed from or inserted into the at least one reaction tank, and
applying a current between the anode and the cathode to deposit the zinc-nickel alloy layer on the substrate.