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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2011 with funding from 
 The Library of Congress 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/electroplatinganOOream 
 
Electro-Plating and 
 Analysis of Solutions 
 
 A manual of information and 
 instruction written for the 
 benefit of the electro-plater and 
 those interested in the art of 
 electro-plating who wish to know 
 something of the chemistry 
 of electrolytic processes 
 
 By Herman H. Reama 
 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. 
 
 The Metal Industry Print 
 99 John Street, New York 
 

 Copyrighted 1913 
 
 Herman H. Reama 
 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. 
 
 ©CI.A35 5 21 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 In compiling this book I have endeavored 
 to make it practical in every detail, wording it 
 in concise and simple language, and avoiding 
 technical terms as much as possible. 
 
 I trust it will prove of benefit to my patrons, 
 and in fact platers in general. 
 
 Herman H. Reama. 
 Brooklvn, N. Y. 1913. 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 I now wish to introduce a few of my ideas 
 in regard to electro-plating, and incidentally 
 a few ideas dealing with those points in chem- 
 istry which are of most benefit in the plating 
 room. 
 
 My idea is to write a book entirely on plat- 
 ing and the analysis of plating solutions in 
 general, which I know will be of great benefit 
 to a plater. 
 
 I shall be as brief as possible in all my work, 
 as simple methods are more easily grasped by 
 the ordinary plater than difficult formulas 
 that can only be understood by a graduate 
 chemist. 
 
 I trust the readers will appreciate that the 
 information contained in this book is only in- 
 troduced with the idea of helping those who 
 follow this line of business to acquire more 
 skill in the plating line. 
 
 The sources of current used for electroplat- 
 ing are the dynamo and the battery. Until the 
 introduction of plating dynamos about sixty 
 years ago, electro-plating was done exclusive- 
 ly by batteries of various kinds, but at the 
 present time the dynamo has almost entirely 
 superseded them, except for amateur work 
 and where power is not available. 
 
 H. H. Reama. 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 1 
 
 ELECTRICAL TERMS. 
 
 Volt: A volt is the unit of electrical pres- 
 sure or electro-motive force, and is used the 
 same as pound pressure when applied to a 
 steam boiler or water pipe. 
 
 Ampere: An ampere is the unit of quan- 
 tity, and is used to denote the amount of cur- 
 rent flowing, in the same way that gallons or 
 cubic feet per minute are used when applied 
 to steam or water. 
 
 Ohm or Resistance: An ohm is the unit of 
 resistance and corresponds to the friction that 
 exists' where water is flowing through a pipe. 
 Therefore it can be readily seen that there 
 exists a definite relation between the above 
 electrical terms, namely: volt, ampere, and 
 ohm, and a volt represents the pressure ex- 
 erted by a current of electricity of one am- 
 pere flowing through a resistance of one ohm. 
 The electrical formula is expressed as follows : 
 
 E 
 C = — in which of course "C" is the amount 
 
 R 
 of current or amperes, — "E" is electro- 
 motive force or volts, while "R" is resistance 
 or ohms. Consequently we have E (volts) = 
 C (amperes) X R (ohms) and R (ohms) = 
 E (volts') 
 
 C (amperes) 
 
2 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 CONDUCTORS. 
 
 It has been stated by competent and 
 qualified people that by using bus-bars 
 of the type shown in Fig. 1, say % x 1% 
 or y% x 1U. inches will give better service than 
 the ordinary round bar. This is strictly a 
 
 Fig. 1— Rectangular Buss Bar 
 
 matter of opinion and is still up to the man in 
 charge or in ownership of the said factory or 
 shop. As heretofore stated many means of 
 
 Fig. 2— Round Buss Bar 
 
 operating can be and are used at the present 
 writing, and it is quite difficult to meet all 
 requirements and all classes of trade and still 
 meet the approval of the majority. Never- 
 theless, facts are facts, and the above are true. 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 3 
 
 CLEANING CAST IRON BEFORE 
 PLATING. 
 
 Steep the work in a solution of potassium 
 hydrate (caustic potash), then rinse in clean 
 water, dip in sulphuric pickle, (1 gallon of 
 sulphuric acid to 10 gallons water), until free 
 from all scale, scour with pulverized pumice 
 and tampico brush or wheel. Then rinse in 
 clean water and dip in a dilute muriatic acid 
 pickle, rinse in clean water, and if work is 
 porous rinse in lime water (if not porous it is 
 not necessary) then rinse in clean water and 
 hang in plating solution. 
 
 Some people use oxalic acid in place of 
 muriatic acid (one pound of oxalic acid to 1 
 gallon water is a very good solution.) 
 
 A 1 CLEANING COMPOUND OR 
 CLEANING SOLUTION. 
 
 100 pounds alkali (potash) (potassium hydrate), 
 75 " sal soda, (carbonate of sodium), 
 20 " light fish oil, 
 Heat at first, then add alkali and sal soda. 
 
 1 gallon 26° ammonia, (aqua ammonia, am- 
 
 monium hydrate), 
 Y\ pound borax soap cut up in pieces. 
 
 2 pounds cream of tartar. 
 
4 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 CLEANING OF METALS BEFORE 
 
 PLATING. 
 
 That should not be scoured. 
 
 The success of all kinds of electro-plating 
 depends greatly upon the work being chemic- 
 ally clean; that is, free from all grease and 
 dirt. This especially applies to nickel-plat- 
 ing, as the chemical character of a nickel solu- 
 tion is such that it has no dissolving action on 
 grease, etc., and the deposit will surely strip 
 or peel from the greasy spots. The operation 
 of cleaning the articles differ in many estab- 
 lishments, but the following methods are those 
 which have been found best from practical 
 experience for copper, brass, britannia metal, 
 tin, pewter, lead, and antimony and most any 
 mixture of soft metals. Soft metals are such 
 as are made from tin, lead, antimony, bismuth. 
 Steep the work in a boiling solution of potash 
 or lye, say 6 to 10 ounces of lye to 1 gallon 
 of water. 
 
 The solution should stand about 10° 
 Baume, and be kept hot. After the work 
 has been hanging in solution some time, rinse 
 well in clean water. Then dip the work in a 
 solution of cyanide of potassium made up say 
 of Yz pound of cyanide to 1 gallon of water. 
 This will remove any oxidization which may 
 have formed on the work. Then rinse well in 
 clean water, so that all potash and cyanide is 
 thoroughly removed from the work, as none 
 must on any account get into the solution. 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 5 
 
 Notice if the water wets the whole surface of 
 the work, and runs off without running from 
 some parts of the work only, as it does with 
 anything that is greasy. If the work shows 
 any signs of grease by the water not running 
 off properly, then dip in potash and cyanide 
 and rinse as before. Then hang work in solu- 
 tion at once without touching the work with 
 the fingers, as grease from the fingers will 
 adhere to the work and cause trouble. 
 
 Britannia metal and pewter should not be 
 left long in the potash, as the solution exerts 
 a solvent action on tin and its alloys. 
 
 ELEMENTS. 
 
 Following is given a list of all known ele- 
 ments with their atomic weights as reported 
 by the International Committee an Atomic 
 weights. 
 
 Atomic 
 Element Symbol Weight 
 
 Aluminum Al 27.1 
 
 Antimony Sb 120.2 
 
 Argon A 39.9 
 
 Arsenic As 75.00 
 
 Barium Ba 137.4 
 
 Bismuth Bi 208.00 
 
 Boron B 11.00 
 
 Bromine Br 79.96 
 
 Cadmium Cd 112.4 
 
 Caesium Cs 132.9 
 
 Calcium Ca 40.1 
 
 Carbon C 12.00 
 
 Cerium Ce 140.25 
 
6 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 ELEMENTS. 
 
 Atomic 
 Element Symbol Weight 
 
 Chlorine CI 35.45 
 
 Chromium Cr 52.1 
 
 Cobalt Co 59.00 
 
 Columbium Cb 94.00 
 
 Copper Cu 63.6 
 
 Erbium E 166.00 
 
 Europium Eu 152.00 
 
 Fluorine F 19.00 
 
 Gadolinium Gd 156.00 
 
 Gallium Ga 70.00 
 
 Germanium Ge 72.5 
 
 Glucinum Gl 9.1 
 
 Gold Au 197.2 
 
 Helium He 4.00 
 
 Hydrogen H 1.008 
 
 Indium In 115.00 
 
 Iodine I 126.97 
 
 Iridium ..Ir 193.00 
 
 Iron Fe 55.9 
 
 Krypton Kr 81.8 
 
 Lanthanum La 138.9 
 
 Lead Pb 206.9 
 
 Lithium ....Li 7.03 
 
 Magnesium Mg 24.36 
 
 Manganese Mn 55.00 
 
 Mercury Hg 200.00 
 
 Molybdenum Mo 96.00 
 
 Neodymium Nd 143.6 
 
 Neon Ne 20.00 
 
 Nickel Ni 58.7 
 
 Nitrogen N 14.01 
 
 Osmium Os 191.00 
 
 Oxygen O 16.00 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions \ 
 
 ELEMENTS. 
 
 Atomic 
 Element Symbol Weight 
 
 Palladium Pd 106.5 
 
 Phosphorus P 31.00 
 
 Platinum Pt 194.8 
 
 Potassium :K 39.15 
 
 Praseodymium Pr 140.5 
 
 Radium Ra 225.00 
 
 Rhodium Rh 103.00 
 
 Rubidium Rb '. 85.5 
 
 Ruthenium Ru 101.7 
 
 Samarium Sm 150.3 
 
 Scandium Sc 44.1 
 
 Selenium . . Se 79.2 
 
 Silicon S'i 28.4 
 
 Silver Ag 107.93 
 
 Sodium Na 23.05 
 
 Strontium Sr 87.6 
 
 Sulphur S 32.06 
 
 Tantalum Ta 181.00 
 
 Tellurium Te . 127.6 
 
 Terbium Tb 159.2 
 
 Thallium Tl 204.1 
 
 Thorium Th 232.5 
 
 Thulium Tu 171.00 
 
 Tin Sn 119.00 
 
 Titanium . . .Ti 48.1 
 
 Tungsten W 184.00 
 
 Uranium U 238.5 
 
 Vanadium V 51.2 
 
 Xenon X 128.00 
 
 Ytterbium Yb 173.00 
 
 Yttrium Y 89.00 
 
 Zinc Zn 65.4 
 
 Zirconium Zr 90.6 
 
8 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 EQUATIONS. 
 
 The following are some simple equations 
 which are frequently encountered in plating 
 operations. 
 
 Hg + O = Hg O Mg + O = Mg O 
 
 HC1 + NH 3 = NH 4 CI 
 H.O + CaO = CaO., H 2 
 H, S0 4 + 2KN0 3 = KoS0 4 + 2HN0 3 
 2HN0 3 + Na 2 C0 3 = 2NaNO s + C0 2 + HX> 
 2HC1 + Zn = ZnCl 2 + 2H 
 CH 4 + 2C1 = CH 3 C1 + HC1 
 Zn + H 9 S0 4 = ZnS0 4 + 2H 
 Ba0 2 = BaO + O SMn0 2 = Mn 3 4 + 20 
 
 8KC10, = 5KC10 4 + 3KC1 + 40 
 With sulphur S + 20 = S0 o 
 With carbon C + 20 = CCX 
 With iron 3Fe + 40 = Fe 3 4 
 With phosphorus 2P + 50 = PoO- 
 K + H 2 = KOH + H 
 Na + HX> = NaOH + H 
 3Fe + 4H,0 = Fe 3 4 + 8H 
 C + H = CO + 2H 
 Zn + 2HC1 = ZnCl, + 2H 
 Zn + H 2 S0 4 = ZnS0 4 + 2H 
 Fe + 2HC1 = FeCl 2 + 2H 
 Fe + H S0 4 = FeS0 4 + 2H 
 CuO + 2H = H 2 + Cu 
 Fe 2 O s + 6H = 2Fe + 3H 2 
 Fe 3 4 + 8H = 3Fe + 4H.O 
 3Fe + 4H 2 = Fe 3 4 + 8H 
 Ca + 2H 2 6 = CaH 2 0„ + 2H 
 Ba + 2HLO = BaHoO" 2 + 2H 
 KCIO3 = KC1 + 3(5 
 HoO = 2H + O CaCO s = CaO + CO. 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 
 
 Linear Measurements. 
 
 10 millimeters (mm.) = 1 centimeter (cm.) 
 10 centimeters = 1 decimeter (dm.) 
 
 10 decimeters ■= 1 meter (m.) 
 
 Equivalent, 1 inch = 2.5 cm. (approximately) 
 
 Square Measurements. 
 
 100 sq. millimeters (mm 2 ) = 1 sq. centimeter 
 
 (cm 2 ) 
 100 sq. centimeters = 1 sq. decimeter (dm 2 ) 
 100 sq. decimeters = 1 sq. meter (m 2 ) 
 
 Cubic Measurements. 
 
 1000 cu. millimeters (mm 3 ) = 1 cu. centimeter 
 
 (ccor cm 3 ) 
 1000 cu. centimeters = 1 cu. decimeter (dm 3 ) 
 1000 cu. decimeters = 1 cu. meter (m 3 ) 
 Equivalents, 1000 cc. = 1 liter (1 1.) 
 
 1 1. = 1 quart (approximately) 
 
 Conversion Table. 
 
 1 cc. of water (S.T.P.) = 1 g. 
 1 1. of water (S.T.P.) = 1 k. 
 30 g. = 1 ounce (approximately) 
 1 k. = 2.2 pounds (approximately) 
 1 g. = 15 gr. (approximately) 
 1 1. hydrogen = .09 g. (approximately) 
 
10 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 Troy Weight. 
 
 24 grains == 1 dwt. 
 
 20 dwts. = 1 ounce. 
 
 12 ounces = 1 pound. 
 
 Used for weighing gold, silver and jewels. 
 
 Apothecaries' Weight. 
 20 grains = 1 scruple. 
 
 3 scruples = 1 dram. 
 
 8 drams = 1 ounce. 
 
 12 ounces = 1 pound. 
 
 The ounce and pound in this are the same as in 
 Troy weight. 
 
 Avoirdupois Weight. 
 27 11-32 grains = 1 dram. 
 
 16 drams 
 
 = 1 ounce. 
 
 16 ounces 
 
 = 1 pound. 
 
 25 pounds 
 
 = 1 quarter. 
 
 4 quarters 
 
 = 1 cwt. 
 
 2,000 pounds 
 
 = 1 short ton 
 
 2,240 pounds 
 
 = 1 long ton. 
 
 Dry 
 
 Measure. 
 
 2 pints 
 
 — 1 quart. 
 
 8 quarts 
 
 .=' 1 peck. 
 
 4 pecks 
 
 = 1 bushel. 
 
 36 bushels 
 
 = 1 chaldron. 
 
 Liquid Measure. 
 
 4 gills = 1 pint. 
 
 2 pints = 1 quart. 
 
 31^ gallons = 1 barrel. 
 
 2 barrels = 1 hogshead. 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 11 
 
 Time Measure. 
 
 60 seconds 
 
 = 1 minute. 
 
 60 minutes 
 
 = 1 hour. 
 
 24 hours 
 
 = 1 day. 
 
 7 days 
 
 = 1 week. 
 
 28, 29, 30, or 31 days = 
 
 = 1 calendar month (30 ds.) 
 
 365 days = 1 year. 
 
 
 Circular Measure. 
 
 60 seconds 
 
 = 1 minute. 
 
 60 minutes 
 
 = 1 degree. 
 
 30 degrees 
 
 = 1 sign. 
 
 90 degrees 
 
 = 1 quadrant. 
 
 4 quadrants 
 
 — 12 signs. 
 
 360 degrees 
 
 = 1 circle. 
 
 Long 
 
 Measure. 
 
 12 inches 
 
 = 1 foot. 
 
 3 feet 
 
 = 1 yard. 
 
 t>y 2 yards 
 
 = 1 rod. 
 
 40 rods 
 
 = 1 furlong. 
 
 8 furlongs 
 
 = 1 statute mile. 
 
 3 miles 
 
 = 1 league. 
 
 Miscellaneous. 
 
 3 inches 
 
 = 1 palm. 
 
 4 inches 
 
 = 1 hand. 
 
 6 inches 
 
 = 1 span. 
 
 18 inches 
 
 = 1 cubit. 
 
 21.8 inches 
 
 = 1 Bible cubit. 
 
 %y 2 feet 
 
 = 1 military pace. 
 
 Weight Table. 
 
 10 milligrams (mg.) 
 
 = 1 centigram (eg.) 
 
 10 centigrams 
 
 = 1 decigram (dg.) 
 
 10 decigrams 
 
 = 1 gram (g.) 
 
 1000 grams 
 
 = 1 kilogram (k.) 
 
12 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 Cloth Measure. 
 
 %Y<\ inches = 1 nail. 
 
 4 nails = 1 quarter. 
 
 4 quarters = 1 yard. 
 
 Square Measure. 
 
 144 sq. inches = 1 sq. foot. 
 
 9 sq. feet = 1 sq. yard. 
 
 30^4 sq. yards = 1 sq. rod. 
 
 40 sq. rods = 1 rood 
 
 4 roods = 1 acre. 
 
 640 acre's = 1 sq. mile. 
 
 Surveyors' Measure. 
 
 7.92 inches = 1 link. 
 
 25 links = 1 rod. 
 
 4 rods = 1 chain. 
 
 10 square chains or 160 square rods = 1 acre. 
 640 acres = 1 sq. mile. 
 36 sq. miles (6 miles sq.) = 1 township. 
 
 Cubic Measure. 
 
 1,728 cubic inches = 1 cubic foot. 
 27 cubic feet = 1 cubic yard. 
 
 128 c. ft. = 1 cord (wood). 
 
 40 cubic feet = 1 ton (shpg.) 
 
 2,150.42 cubic inches = 1 standard bushel. 
 268.8 cubic inches = 1 standard gallon. 
 1 cubic foot = about four-fifths of a bushel. 
 
 Mariners' Measure. 
 
 6 feet = 1 fathom. 
 
 120 fathoms = 1 cable length. 
 
 yy 2 cable lengths = 1 mile. 
 5,280 feet = 1 statute mile. 
 
 6,085 feet = 1 nautical mile. 
 
Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 13 
 
 METRIC EQUIVALENTS. 
 
 Linear Measure. 
 
 1 centimeter 
 
 = 0.3937 inches. 
 
 1 decimeter 
 
 = 3.937 in =0.328 ft. 
 
 1 meter 
 
 = 39.37 in . = 1.0936 yds 
 
 1 dekameter 
 
 = 1.9884 rods. 
 
 1 kilometer 
 
 = 0.62137 mile. 
 
 1 inch 
 
 = 2.54 centimeters. 
 
 1 foot 
 
 == 3.048 decimeters. 
 
 1 yard 
 
 = 0.9144 meter. 
 
 1 rod 
 
 = 0.5029 dekameter. 
 
 1 mile 
 
 = 1.6093 kilometers. 
 
 
 Square Measure. 
 
 1 sq. centimeter 
 
 = 0.1550 sq. inches. 
 
 1 sq. decimeter 
 
 = 0.1076 sq. feet. 
 
 1 sq. meter 
 
 = 1.196 sq. yards. 
 
 1 ar 
 
 = 3.954 sq. rd. 
 
 1 hektar 
 
 = 2.47 acres 
 
 1 sq. kilometer 
 
 = 0.386 sq. m. 
 
 1 sq. inch 
 
 = 6.452 sq. centimeters. 
 
 1 sq. foot 
 
 = 9.2903 sq. decimeters. 
 
 1 sq. yard 
 
 = 0.8361 sq. meter 
 
 1 sq. rod 
 
 = 0.8361 sq. ar 
 
 1 acre 
 
 = 0.4047 hektar. 
 
 1 sq. m. 
 
 = 2.59 sq. kilometers. 
 
 
 Weights. 
 
 1 gram 
 
 = 0.03527 ounce. 
 
 1 kilogram 
 
 = 2.2046 lbs. 
 
 1 metric ton 
 
 = 1.1023 English ton. 
 
 1 ounce 
 
 = 28.85 grams. 
 
 1 pound 
 
 = 0.4536 kilogram. 
 
 1 English ton 
 
 = 0.9072 metric ton. 
 
14 
 
 Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 Approximate 
 
 Metric Equivalents. 
 
 1 decimeter 
 
 = 4 
 
 inches. 
 
 1 meter 
 
 = 1.1 
 
 yards. 
 
 1 kilometer 
 
 = H 
 
 of mile. 
 
 1 hektar 
 
 = 2y 2 
 
 acres. 
 
 1 stere or cu. meter 
 
 = Va 
 
 of a cord. 
 
 1 liter 
 
 = 1.06 
 
 qt. liquid. 
 
 1 liter 
 
 = 0.9 
 
 qt. dry. 
 
 1 hektoliter 
 
 = 2^ 
 
 bush. 
 
 1 kilogram 
 
 = 2% 
 
 lbs. 
 
 1 metric ton 
 
 = 2,200 
 
 lbs. 
 
 Measure of Volume. 
 
 1 cu. centimeter 
 
 = 
 
 0.061 
 
 cu. in. 
 
 1 cu. decimeter 
 
 = 
 
 0.0353 
 
 cu. ft. 
 
 1 cu. meter 
 
 = 
 
 1.308 
 
 cu. yd. 
 
 1 stere 
 
 = 
 
 0.2759 
 
 cd. 
 
 1 liter 
 
 = 
 
 0.908 
 
 qt. dry 
 
 1 liter 
 
 = 
 
 1.0567 
 
 qt. liq. 
 
 1 dekaliter 
 
 = 
 
 2.6417 
 
 gal. 
 
 1 dekaliter 
 
 z= 
 
 .135 
 
 pks. 
 
 1 hektoliter 
 
 = 
 
 2.8375 
 
 bush. 
 
 1 cu. inch 
 
 = 
 
 16.39 
 
 cu. cent'rs 
 
 1 cu. foot 
 
 = 
 
 28.317 
 
 cu. deci'rs. 
 
 1 cu. yard 
 
 = 
 
 0.7646 
 
 cu. M'r. 
 
 1 cord 
 
 = 
 
 3.624 
 
 steres. 
 
 1 quart dry 
 
 = 
 
 1.101 
 
 liters. 
 
 1 quart liquid 
 
 = 
 
 0.9463 
 
 liter. 
 
 1 gallon 
 
 = 
 
 0.3785 
 
 dekaliter. 
 
 1 peck 
 
 = 
 
 0.881 
 
 dekaliter. 
 
 1 bushel 
 
 = 
 
 0.3524 
 
 hektoliter. 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 15 
 
 Electrical Requirements Necessary in 
 a Plating Room. 
 
 XN the first place it is better to buy a first 
 class dynamo even though it be a little 
 more expensive in the beginning, it will prove 
 to be the cheapest in the end. The dynamo 
 should be set up on a good solid foundation 
 and as near to the tanks as convenient, and 
 should be placed so that your plater will have 
 easy access to all its working parts. A few 
 minutes attention given to the dynamo each 
 morning adds greatly to efficiency, and will 
 keep commutator and brushes in good condi- 
 tion. Be sure the dynamo rests firmly on its 
 foundation. Great care should be taken in ad- 
 justing the brushes not to have too much pres- 
 sure on commutator. The brushes should not 
 bear too hard on commutator, but just enough 
 to insure perfect contact between brush-holder 
 and rod. If commutator shows signs of 
 roughness, smooth w~ith fine sand-paper, and 
 lubricate with vaseline. Never use emery 
 paper. The conducting bars running from the 
 dynamo past the various tanks in the plating 
 room should be large enough to carry all cur- 
 rent that the dynamo gives, and the various 
 vats can be connected by means of wires or 
 rods leading from the conducting bars. Great 
 care should be taken to have the wires of a 
 sufficient size so as not to lose too much cur- 
 
16 
 
 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 17 
 
 
 .. O 
 
 »? 
 
 I « 
 *£ 
 
 fa <u 
 
 rent. The current must be regulated for each 
 tank by a resistance switch or rheostat con- 
 nected to the positive bar and also to the posi- 
 tive bar of the tank. Rheostats are put up as 
 
18 
 
 Electro- Platixg and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 near to the tank as possible, and should be 
 shut off while putting- work into tank, and then 
 be turned toward the strongest point until a 
 suitable current is obtained. 
 
 It is quite essential in a large plating room 
 to have a voltmeter, and also an ampere meter, 
 
 Fig. 5— Ammeter for Electro-plating Work. Manufactured by 
 Weston Electric Company, Newark, N. J. 
 
 which will show the plater the exact amount 
 of current he is getting. By means of an ac- 
 curate ammeter, the amount of metal actually 
 deposited can be determined. 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 19 
 
 NICKEL PLATING. 
 
 The solution should be made up by dissolv- 
 ing % of a pound of nickel-ammonium sul- 
 phate (double nickel salts) (1 gallon of 
 water), which will bring the density up to 
 about 6° or 7° Be, and adding a small amount 
 of boric acid, making a very fine bright nickel. 
 In some instances, agitated solutions are of 
 great importance, for the reason that a higher 
 current density may be used, and decrease the 
 time, prevent pitting, and the work will 
 come out just as bright as in a still solution. 
 
 Anodes: Now as to anodes, they are very 
 important in nickel solutions, owing to the 
 fact that the solution does not readily dissolve 
 the metal, as this action takes place only by 
 the aid of the current, and as nickel sulphate 
 will not conduct electricity properly, and as 
 ammonium sulphate will, we have combined 
 them and make the double salt, and the free 
 sulphuric acid liberated by the deposition im- 
 mediately passes to the opposite pole, and 
 attacks the anodes. A large anode surface is 
 necessary. Cast anodes are preferable, as 
 rolled anodes are so hard that more current is 
 required. 
 
 Bath: The bath should be slightly acid. 
 This condition can be readily told, by testing 
 with litmus paper. Blue litmus paper is 
 colored red by acid, and red litmus paper is 
 colored blue by an alkali. Too much acid will 
 
20 Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 is 
 
 8.1 
 
 S3 
 
 o g 
 
 . o 
 
 "3 b 
 
 cause peeling, and if the bath is alkaline a 
 dark deposit will be obtained. The solution 
 should be kept always at 6}^ to 7° Be. 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 21 
 
 COPPER PLATING. 
 
 A very fine bright deposit of copper can be 
 obtained by making a solution of 
 
 1 gallon of warm water, 
 
 5 ounces of carbonate of copper, 
 10 " cyanide of potassium, 
 
 2 " bisulphite of soda. 
 
 Fig. 7— Voltmeter used in Electro-plating 
 Manufactured by Weston Electric Company, Newark, N. J. 
 
 Sometimes a person may have trouble 
 owing to his copper solution not depositing 
 any copper. As a rule this is due to insufficient 
 cyanide. As for example, if there is not 
 enough cyanide in the bath, the anodes will 
 become coated with a greenish coat. Remedy. 
 
22 Electro-Platixg and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 add cyanide. When the bath is working prop- 
 erly, there will be no traces of green upon the 
 anodes, and the work hung in the tanks to be 
 plated should be rapidly covered with metal. 
 On the other hand when there is too much cy- 
 anide in the bath, hydrogen bubbles will come 
 very freely from the work to be plated. 
 Remedy, add copper cyanide. 
 
 The above solution is for ordinary work. 
 Of course there are various ways of running 
 a copper solution. For instance, if a copper 
 solution is to be used for striking steel knives 
 before silver plating them, this solution should 
 be made rich with cyanide, and just enough 
 carbonate of copper to deposit freely. 
 
 To make this solution use about 
 
 8 ounces of Cyanide of potassium. 
 4 ' Carbonate of copper. 
 
 When this solution is first tried if there is 
 no deposit, add carbonate of copper slowly 
 until a good deposit is obtained. If the work 
 blisters by using a strong current, reduce the 
 current. If it still blisters, add a little more 
 cyanide. The solution should stand about 
 10° Be. 
 
 BRASS PLATING SOLUTION, 
 
 The brass, plating solution seems to be the 
 most difficult of all solutions to handle, and 
 there are several ways of running a brass 
 solution for various kinds of work, and if a 
 
Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 23 
 
 man has had a little experience in brass plating 
 he will readily understand what kind of a solu- 
 tion is needed for the work he is about to 
 plate. In my experience I have used several 
 different brass solutions, and have plated sev- 
 eral kinds of metals in different lines of work, 
 and I find that in plating lead work or any 
 white metal, that a solution made up of about 
 1 Gallon of water, 
 7 Ounces of carbonate of copper, 
 4 " " " " zinc, 
 
 15 " cyanide of potassium. 
 
 A small amount of arsenic dissolved in 
 caustic soda, and a small quantity of ammonia, 
 will bring very good results. 
 
 Now in making up this solution, fill the vat 
 half full of water, then take dry carbonate of 
 copper and carbonate of zinc, and weigh at 
 the rate of 5 to 3 parts and put in a stone 
 crock. Fill the crock with water and stir all to- 
 gether; then in another crock put cyanide and 
 dissolve it, then take a pail and fill it half full 
 of the copper and zinc solution and add the cy- 
 anide solution to it, and keep stirring until 
 the solution becomes clear, and then add to 
 the vat. When all the metal and cyanide are 
 in the vat, fill up with water, then add a small 
 amount of arsenic, and then about one gallon 
 of ammonia to every 50 gallons. Care should 
 be taken in using the arsenic, not to add too 
 much. A very small amout is sufficient, and 
 
24 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 when this solution is tried if it does not work 
 nice and clear, simply add a little more 
 ammonia. 
 
 Fig. 8— Rheostat 
 Manufactured by Bennett-O'Connell Company, Chicago, 111. 
 
 Now I find that on plating sheet metal work 
 that I obtain far better results by using the 
 following solution: 
 
 1 Gallon of water, 
 12 Ounces of carbonate of copper, 
 
 7 " " " " zinc, 
 
 25 " cyanide of potassium, 
 
 A small amount of ammonia. 
 
Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 25 
 
 TUMBLING BARREL PLATING. 
 
 Tumbling barrels have almost entirely done 
 away with wiring or basket plating for small 
 work such as screws, collar buttons, etc., and 
 at the present day they turn out this class of 
 
 work in tumbling bar- 
 rels in large quanti- 
 ties and in this way 
 reduce the cost to a 
 much smaller figure 
 than when it was done 
 by the old method. 
 
 A very good brass 
 solution for tumbling- 
 barrel plating is 
 made as follows : 
 Carbonate of cop- 
 per 12 oz. 
 
 Carbonate of zinc 
 6oz. 
 
 Cyanide of potas- 
 sium . . . .20 oz. 
 Water .... 1 gal. 
 
 Ammonia and 
 arsenic may be 
 
 Fig. 9— "None Such" Electro-plating Barrel 
 
 Manufactured by Rockhill & Vietor pn r1f»nn<5 it- 
 
 New York CU UC P UML - 
 
26 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 ARGENT IVORY OR SILVER WHITE. 
 
 This is an exceptionally fine white finish, 
 burnished on certain parts, and is produced in 
 'the silver solution by running the work just 
 long enough to get a dead white, and rinsing 
 in cold and hot water, and then in cold again, 
 and dry in soap suds or alcohol, and then 
 burnish using Ivcry Soap for the burnishing. 
 In this way one is not so liable to stain the 
 work, or burnish dry, which in some cases is 
 preferable as this finish stains very easily. 
 This white finish should be lacquered with a 
 pure White Celluloid Lacquer. 
 
 Fig. 10— "None Such" Carboy Rocker 
 
 "Beginning to Pour" 
 
 Manufactured by Rockhill & Vietor, New York 
 
 OLD IVORY FINISH. 
 
 This is a beautiful finish, and can be pro- 
 duced in several ways. One can get a very 
 fine finish by using White Enamel Lacquer 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 27 
 
 and spraying it on the work, and when dry ap- 
 ply with a camels hair brush, burnt umber 
 ground with oil and thinned with turpentine 
 until the shade desired is obtained. A small 
 amount of burnt umber to about 6 to 8 ounces 
 of turpentine will give a fine tan color, which 
 is a very fine color to apply on the white. 
 Rub off with turpentine with a small piece of 
 felt or chamois. A still better way to produce 
 this Old Ivory is to produce the white in the 
 silver solution, run the work just long enough 
 to get a dead white, and then rinse off in cold 
 and hot water, and then in cold water, and 
 then dry in alcohol or soap suds and lacquer. 
 Apply burnt umber as before. 
 
 For the cheap class of work the cost of this 
 finish can be reduced by first running the work 
 in an acid copper solution for about y 2 hour 
 which will give a dead finish. Then silver 
 plate. In this way the dead white is produced 
 m about half the time in silver solution, thus 
 saving silver. 
 
 SILVER PLATING CASKET HARD- 
 WARE. 
 
 In presenting this subject, I desire to illus- 
 trate the handling of this line of work from 
 the stringing or racking up to the buffing de- 
 partment. 
 
 The work is first wired or racked up, then it 
 is dipped in the potash and rinsed off in clean 
 water, nickel plated for about five minutes, 
 
28 Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 rinsed in clean water, put into the silver strike 
 solution for a minute or two, then into the 
 bright silver solution, where it is usually run 
 for about five minutes. This class of work 
 must come out of the silver solution bright 
 and clear, and without stain, as some of the 
 cheap w^ork goes through wnthout any buffing, 
 and the work that is to be buffed has to be 
 done simply by color buffing. When the work 
 comes out of the silver solution it should be 
 rinsed in cold water, and then in hot water, 
 and then hung in an oven at 150 to 200° F. 
 until thoroughly dry. It is then ready for 
 buffing. 
 
 The potash for this class of Avork should 
 stand about 5 Be, and not any higher, as the 
 work must not stain when potashing. The 
 nickel solution should be made of J4 pound 
 of double nickel salts to a gallon of water, and 
 should stand about 6 to 7 Be. A small amount 
 of table salt added to this solution occasionally 
 will whiten the deposit. The silver strike 
 solution should be made up of about 10 ounces 
 of cyanide of potassium to the gallon, and y 2 
 ounce of silver chloride to a gallon of water. 
 The silver solution should contain 2 ounces of 
 silver chloride and about 12 ounces of cyanide 
 of potassium per gallon of water, and add 
 bisulphide of carbon in the usual manner to 
 brighten the deposit. Care should be taken 
 in adding this brightener, as too much will 
 give very bad results. 
 
Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 29 
 
 Fig. 11— "None Such" Plating Barrel Double Type 
 Manufactured by Rockhill & Vietor, New York 
 
30 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 SILVER PLATING STEEL KNIVES. 
 
 The knives are first placed in a basket, and 
 then washed in benzine and shaken through 
 sawdust which will remove oil, and potash in 
 the usual way. Potash should stand about 15 
 Be. After taking- out of potash, rinse in clean 
 water and place in carbonate of soda solution 
 to prevent rust, and scour with fine pumice, 
 rinse in clean water and rack up. Then dip in 
 dilute sulphuric acid dip in proportion of 1 
 part of acid to 8 parts of water, then rinse in 
 clean water and hang into a steel strike. The 
 steel strike is made up of 
 
 Carbonate of copper. 10 Grains. 
 
 Chloride of silver... 5 
 
 Cyanide of potassiumlO Ounces. 
 
 Water 1 Gallon. 
 
 Use copper anode 2x8 inches in cloth bag. 
 Silver 1 inch square. 
 
 It is advisable at the end of each week to 
 take out about 1 gallon of the strike solution 
 and add about 1 quart of silver solution and 
 cyanide enough to keep the solution standing 
 10 Be. Never add any copper to the strike 
 after first making, as all the copper required is 
 obtained from the anode. After striking the 
 knives in steel strike, they should be rinsed 
 in clean water, and struck up in the regular 
 silver strike, and from there into silver solu- 
 tion. The silver solution should always stand 
 about 15° to 18° Be, and have 4 to 4^2 ounces 
 of chloride of silver per gallon, and 15 to 20 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 31 
 
 ounces of cyanide of potassium per gallon. It 
 is best to keep the knives in motion while 
 plating by means of a swing frame attached 
 to the negative pole, which is the plating pole. 
 A scale attachment which will register the 
 amount of silver being deposited can also be 
 obtained. 
 
 SILVER PLATING HOLLOW WARE. 
 Brass, Copper, or German Silver. 
 
 The work is first dipped in potash standing 
 about 15 Be, rinsed in clean water, scoured 
 with fine pumice on a tampico brush or wheel, 
 allowing a steady drip of water to flow on the 
 wheel while work is being scoured, so as to 
 keep work wet, then sponge off" thoroughly in 
 clean water and hook or wire up, when it is 
 ready for plating. The work is then hung in 
 a clean water vat until the plater is ready to 
 handle it. On removal, dip in potash stand- 
 ing about 10 Be, rinse in clean water and dip in 
 mercury dip, rinse in clean water, and dip in 
 potash, and then in a weak cyanide of 
 potassium dip, and from this into silver strike 
 solution, where it is struck up for a few min- 
 utes, and then into silver solution where it 
 remains until the desired amount of silver is 
 deposited. This method is for burnish or satin 
 finished work. 
 
 Now if the work is only to be buff finished, 
 a different method should be used in cleaning, 
 as this class of work should come out of solu- 
 
32 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 tion bright and without stain, as we only burn- 
 ish parts that cannot be readily reached by 
 the buff. Therefore, we use a solution of 
 Kalye about 8 ounces to a gallon of hot water. 
 Place work in Kalye solution a couple of min- 
 utes, wash off with a cotton flannel brush, 
 scour only such parts as inside of tea pots, 
 or under handle, etc., and then plate in a bright 
 silver solution. For satin finish or burnished 
 work it is best to use a solution composed of 
 
 Chloride of silver. . . 3 to 4 Ounces. 
 
 Cyanide of potassiuml5 to 18 
 
 Water 1 Gallon. 
 
 Bright silver solution should contain 
 
 Chloride of silver. . . 2 to 2^/2 Ounces. 
 
 Cyanide of potassiuml2 to 15 
 
 AVater 1 Gallon. 
 
 Bisulphide of carbon should be added in the 
 
 usual manner. 
 
 Silver Plating Lead or Spelter Articles. 
 
 In my experience, I have found that the 
 best results in this line of work can be ob- 
 tained by first washing the articles in benzine 
 and then shaking through sawdust. They 
 should then be hooked or racked up and 
 dipped through potash, rinsed in clean water, 
 strike in cyanide copper solution for a couple 
 of minutes, and nickel plate about y 2 hour. 
 Then rinse in clean water, potash and rinse 
 again and then place in silver strike solution, 
 and plate in the ordinary silver solution until 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 33 
 
 the desired amount of silver is deposited. The 
 reason for nickel plating is only to save silver, 
 for instance, when you relieve an article for 
 French Gray finish, you are liable to cut 
 through on some little part, and if you have a 
 nickel base under the silver, it in most cases 
 would not be noticed. 
 
 ROSE GOLD. 
 
 I will now make a few remarks on the rose 
 gold finish, which is a beautiful finish on al- 
 most any kind of work. There are several 
 ways of producing this finish, for instance, if 
 you want a fine rose finish on high class jewel- 
 ry, you have to produce your smut by the use 
 of an old gold solution, to which you may add 
 a small amount of caustic potash, and use 
 carbon anodes. I have found that adding car- 
 bonate of copper taken up with yellow prus- 
 siate of potassium in small quantities will give 
 you a very fine red rose. Run work in this 
 solution for a couple of minutes, then rinse 
 in a weak cyanide of potassium dip, then re- 
 lieve with bi-carbonate of soda, and then run 
 into a roman gold solution, which consists of 
 
 2 Ounces of C. P. cyanide of potassium, 
 
 1 Gallon of water, 
 
 5 Pennyweights of fulminate of gold. 
 
 For cheap classes of work we can produce 
 
 a rose finish which is very inexpensive, and 
 
 which is also a very nice finish' by producing 
 
 the smut in an acid copper solution, and then 
 
34 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 relieving with bi-carbonate of soda, and gold 
 plating in a roman gold solution. I have also 
 had pretty good success by using a dip gold 
 solution made up of 
 
 1 Gallon of warm water, 
 
 5 Pennyweights fulminate of gold, 
 
 2 Ounces C. P. cyanide of potassium, 
 2 Ounces phosphate of soda, 
 
 1 Stick caustic potash. 
 
 GILDING INSIDE OF SPOONHOLD- 
 ERS, CUPS, CREAM PITCHERS, ETC. 
 
 Gilding Solution: 
 
 Water 1 Gallon. 
 
 Cyanide of potassium 8 Ounces. 
 
 Fulminate of gold. . .10 Pennyweights. 
 
 Fill cup with gold solution and hang anode 
 in cup until you get desired color. Now in 
 case you have a cream pitcher with a lip on it 
 to gold line so that when you fill cup with 
 solution it does not cover all parts that are to 
 be gilded, the proper way to gild such a piece 
 of work is to have a tight rubber band to place 
 around the top so as to hold solution up to 
 highest point in order to gild the lip. Or use 
 wax which by some silver concerns is called 
 "Gilders Wax." This wax should be heated 
 in warm water until it becomes soft, so that it 
 can be stretched out in any length or width 
 desired, and place on work while warm. In 
 this way you can gild any piece of work no 
 matter what shape it may be. For instance, 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 35 
 
 if you have 25 cups with an uneven surface 
 on top, you can heat a lump of this wax, 
 enough to place over the lip of these 25 cups, 
 and by the time you get wax on all of them, 
 the first will be cool enough to proceed with 
 the gilding. Then when all are gilded' the 
 wax should be taken off by placing in warm 
 water, when it can be easily removed. Care 
 should be taken not to have the water too 
 warm. 
 
 Gilders Wax : 
 
 White Wax 1 Pound. 
 
 Rosen 2 Pounds. 
 
 Mix by heat. 
 
 GOLD PLATING 14 OR 18 KARAT 
 COLOR ON JEWELRY. 
 
 In my experience I have found that there 
 is but one way to make these solutions, and 
 obtain first class results, and that is to pur- 
 chase a 14 Karat anode, and run the gold into 
 a cyanide solution by using a porous cup until 
 you have drawn off about 10 pennyweights 
 of your anode into 1 gallon of C. P. cyanide 
 of potassium solution. Have the solution stand 
 about 6° Be. In this way you get a beautiful 
 14 to 18 Karat color, which will run very 
 even. The richer the solution in gold, the 
 richer color you will get. Therefore, when 
 your solution is first made up with 10 penny- 
 weights to the gallon, you will get about an 
 
36 
 
 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 18 Karat color and as you use the solution 
 it will go down to a 14 Karat, and you can get 
 about any shade from a copper color to al- 
 most a 22 Karat in this way. 
 
 Fig. 12— "None Such" Carboy Rocker 
 
 "Getting Out the Last Drops" 
 
 Manufactured by Rockhill & Vietor, New York 
 
 DARK BROWN ON COPPER OR BRASS. 
 
 Water 1 Gallon. 
 
 Chlorate of potash.. 3 Ounces. 
 Sulphate of copper.'. 3 " 
 Hyposulphite of soda 3 
 Acetate of copper. . . 3 
 
 Use hot. In some cases Sulphate of nickel 
 may be added. 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 37 
 
 BRIGHT FOR SILVER. 
 
 Chloroform or ether. 2 Ounces. 
 
 Bisulphide of carbon 4 
 
 Silver solution 2 Quarts. 
 
 GREEN GOLD. 
 
 A very fine green gold color can be pro- 
 duced in a solution of 
 
 10 Gallons of water, 
 10 Pennyweights of fulminate of gold, 
 20 Ounces C. P. cyanide of potassium, 
 3 Pennyweights chloride of silver, 
 2 Grains acetate of lead. 
 
 Ormulu Gold Finish on Lead Work. 
 
 The first thing to do is to see that your 
 work is properly cleaned, and a very good 
 way to clean this kind of work is to wash with 
 benzine and dry out with sawdust ; then wire 
 or rack up your work, dip through potash and 
 rinse in clean water, and hang into bright 
 cyanide copper solution until coated all over 
 with copper, then hang into your acid copper 
 solution for from one to two hours according 
 to the class of work you are doing; then dip 
 into a bright dip composed of 
 
 \y 2 parts of oil of vitrol, 
 
 1 part of nitric acid. 
 
 Then rinse off thoroughly in clean water' 
 and hang in brass solution until you obtain a 
 nice yellow brass. About 2 or 3 minutes is 
 
38 Electro-Platixg and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 sufficient. Then gold plate in salt water gold 
 solution. 
 
 The brass solution for this class of work 
 should be made up as follows : 
 1 Gallon of water, 
 12 Ounces of carbonate of copper, 
 
 6 " " «■ "- zinc, 
 
 25 " " cyanide of potassium. 
 A small amount of ammonia. 
 The salt water gold solution should be 
 made up of 
 
 8 Ounces yellow ferrocyanide (yellow 
 prussiate of potassium), 
 24 Ounces carbonate of sodium, 
 16 phosphate of sodium. 
 
 3 Pennyweights fulminate of gold, 
 1 Gallon of water. 
 
 In setting up this solution, you should get 
 a red porous jar, and a copper kettle ; place the 
 jar in the kettle and place a piece of sheet zinc 
 around the porous jar. The sheet zinc should 
 be about y 2 inch thick. A copper rod should 
 be attached to the zinc with rivets so as to get 
 a good connection. Stand the porous jar and 
 zinc on either wood or glass in the bottom 
 of the copper kettle. The salt water which is 
 used to form battery should be made from 
 rock salt (which is very cheap), and a little 
 salammoniac, and should stand about 12° to 
 15° Be, and should be heated with a copper 
 coil. 
 
 Be sure and use copper or brass coil 
 
Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 39 
 
 TO HAN 6 WORK 
 FROM 
 
 SALT SOLUTION 
 
 made of rock 
 salt to register 
 
 15* 
 
 GOLD 
 SOLUTION 
 
 TEMP or 
 SOLUTION 
 /7S° 
 
 PORUS POT 
 
 izznzmzzzzzzzzzzzzzzmzzzzzzmzzzzznnti zzz^ 
 
 Fig. 13— The Outfit for Salt Water Gilding 
 
 */s Copper Rod 
 
 Zinc 
 
 '/ s THICK 
 
 COPPER POT 
 
 n 5T£Ar1 COIL 
 
 or coppcr 
 
 at tot torn of 
 copper pot- 
 
 SOME TALK ON LACQUER. 
 
 First be sure the work to be lacquered has 
 been thoroughly cleaned. Then a room free 
 from dust should be fitted up with an oven 
 
40 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 heated to 140° F. and supplied with a chimney 
 or some means of carrying off the fumes of 
 the lacquer, which are very disagreeable. 
 
 For dip lacquering the lacquer is placed in 
 an iron enameled vat. The articles perfectly 
 clean are hung on hooks and dipped into the 
 vat and held up for a few minutes to allow the 
 superfluous liquid to run off. Then they are 
 hung up to dry in the oven. Dip lacquers are 
 best thinned at night which will allow time to 
 thoroughly blend. It is impossible to use a 
 single solvent for an all around lacquer. Dip 
 work requires one rate of evaporation, and 
 spray work another rate. This is regulated by 
 the solvents used, and the proportions of each - 
 and only experience can teacfr it. Brush lac- 
 quer is the same as dip lacquer except that it 
 should be used with a thicker body so it will 
 spread well under the brush. A fitch or camels 
 hair brush should be used. 
 
 The proper preparation of lacquer solvents 
 calls for the highest degree of skill and care. 
 The solvents must be prepared water white 
 and free from water and acid. Lacquer will 
 attract moisture from the air in a damp room, 
 and thus cause considerable trouble. Lac- 
 quered work which is thoroughly dried in an 
 oven will be softened up again if a lot of new- 
 ly lacquered work is put in with it. 
 
 For work that requires a heavy coat of high 
 gloss lacquer, additions of various gums are 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 41 
 
 made, some for hardness, some for gloss, and 
 some for adhesion. Each in its proper pro- 
 portion, and each with a certain amount of 
 proper solvent to carry it. Some solvents pre- 
 cipitate some gums, and their relative evapor- 
 ating points are to be considered. Gum lac- 
 
 Fig. 14— Rheostat and Wattmeter 
 
 Manufactured by Western Electric Company 
 
 New York and Chicago 
 
 quers unless a very heavy coat is required 
 may be thinned out with three or four parts 
 of thinner. If heavy coats are required they 
 should be dried with considerable heat to 
 harden them. A thoughtful, careful workman 
 will obtain far better results with a fair grade 
 of lacquer, than a careless workman will with 
 the best grade. 
 
 THE USE OF WATER DIP LACQUERS. 
 
 This name is applied for the reason that af- 
 ter the article has been plated and without 
 drying' it can be dipped into the lacquer with- 
 
42 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 out in any way injuring the finish. These lac- 
 quers are very beneficial for bright dipped 
 finishes that are used in basket work. Also 
 mat finish work on sheet brass, etc. Such 
 work would tarnish at once if dried and then 
 lacquered, and for this reason must be lac- 
 quered as soon as the dipping method is over. 
 
 For instance, sheet brass that is to be mat 
 finished and dipped through bright dip 
 often causes lots of trouble if you stop to dry 
 it before lacquering. On the other hand if 
 you dip this work through hot soap water 
 and clean hot water, and then dip into lacquer, 
 you will have no trouble whatever. The dip 
 lacquer for this class of work should be used 
 very thin so it will run off without leaving a 
 drip. I have lacquered thousands of pieces of 
 this class of work in this way, and have had 
 very good results. 
 
 The water should be removed every day 
 either by syphon, or by means of a faucet at 
 the bottom of tank. A wire screen nickel 
 plated with a coarse mesh should be placed a 
 few inches from the bottom of lacquer tank. 
 All dirt, etc., carried into the lacquer will sift 
 through the screen, and can be drawn off 
 with the water. 
 
 BURNISHING WITH STEEL BALLS. 
 
 This method of burnishing small metal ar- 
 ticles in tumbling barrels is a method of mix- 
 ing articles such as buckles, chains, collar but- 
 
Electro-Platixg axd Analysis of Solutions 
 
 43 
 
 tons, etc., with steel balls in the proper pro- 
 portion and rolling together in a soap solu- 
 tion. The balls required must be hard and 
 
 BEARINGS RING OILED 
 
 /AND BRONZE BUSHED 
 
 BRASS COVER y FRICTION CLUTCH 
 
 WATER 
 
 Fig. 15— Steel Ball Burnishing Barrel (Single) 
 
 The cut shows barrel in position for working. 
 
 Made by The Baird Machine Company, Bridgeport, Conn. 
 
 smooth. Any non-alkali soap will do. Small 
 articles can be burnished and handled in large 
 quantities in this way at a very small expense. 
 
44 Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 I have burnished rose and green gold 
 buckles in this way when I only wanted them 
 to be burnished on the high lights - and by 
 tumbling them thirty minutes I got out very 
 
 %- WATER 
 
 FRICTION CLUTCH PULLEYS 
 
 
 HARDWOOD LINING 1 
 SRASS COVER 
 
 303-2 
 
 Fig. 16— Double Burnishing Barrel for use with steel balls 
 
 Manufactured by The Baird Machine Company, Bridgeport, Conn. 
 
 The cut shows one Barrel horizontal and the other in position for dumping 
 
 near the same class of work as I would had 
 they been hand burnished, and the cost when 
 the work is handled in this way is very small. 
 Care should be taken not to allow the steel 
 balls to become rusty. 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 45 
 
 CHEMICALS USED 
 
 Sulphuric Acid, 
 Nitric Acid, 
 Muriatic Acid, 
 Citric Acid, 
 Boracic Acid, 
 Arsenious Acid, 
 Hydrofluoric Acid, 
 Bichromate of Potash, 
 Caustic Potash or Potas- 
 sium Hydrate, 
 Cyanide of Potassium, 
 " Silver, 
 " Copper, 
 " Zinc, 
 Sodium Carbonate, 
 Bicarbonate, 
 Bisulphite, 
 Hyposulphite, 
 Nitrate, 
 Phosphate, 
 Chloride, or 
 Common Salt, 
 Sodium Cyanide, 
 Barium Sulphide, 
 Ammonium " 
 Hydrosulphuret Am- 
 monium, 
 Ammonium Chloride, 
 Hydrate, 
 Yellow Prussiate of Pot- 
 ash, or 
 Potassium Ferrocyanide 
 Sodium 
 Barium 
 
 IN PLATING ROOM. 
 
 Acetic Acid, 
 
 Ammonia, 
 
 Caustic Soda or Sodium 
 
 Hydrate, 
 Potassium Sulphuret, 
 Copper Chloride, 
 Carbonate, 
 Sulphate, 
 Acetate, 
 Nitrate, 
 Zinc Carbonate, 
 " Sulphate, 
 " Chloride, 
 Nickel Carbonate, 
 Sulphate, 
 " Chloride, 
 " Ammonium Sul- 
 phate, 
 Iron Sulphate, 
 " Chloride, 
 Sesquichloride of Iron, 
 Nitrate of Tin, 
 Tin Chloride, or Muriate 
 
 of Tin, 
 Gold Chloride, 
 Silver 
 Platinum " 
 Silver Nitrate, 
 Lead 
 
 Acetate, 
 Lye or Potash, 
 Kalye, 
 Calcium Choride. 
 
46 
 
 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 THE USES OF AIR BRUSHES. 
 
 The most up-to-date method of lacquering 
 at the present time seems to be with the air 
 brush called the "Sprayer," which is operated 
 by compressed air, and everything from the 
 largest to the smallest object can be lacquered 
 or painted by means of this "Sprayer." 
 
 There are all styles of sprayers, some for 
 lacquers and some for enamels, etc., and any 
 
 Fig. 17— Sprayers and Air Filter 
 Made by Eureka Pneumatic Spray Co., New York 
 
 number of colors can be blended together by 
 use of the air brush. This method is far su- 
 perior to the old way of using a camels hail 
 brush. The lacquer or enamels spread better 
 and you can obtain a smoother surface. It 
 also saves labor, as more work can be turned 
 out in this way. Four or five pieces of work 
 can be turned out with the spray while you 
 are doing one with a brush, and at the same 
 time you have better results. It is a very 
 
Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 47 
 
 good idea to use a hood, paint receiver and 
 exhaust fan in connection with the "Sprayer' 1 
 to remove the vapors which may arise. A 
 pressure regulator and filter are also bene- 
 ficial for fine work. 
 
 FORMULAS. 
 
 Gun Metal Finish. 
 
 On dip brass, copper, german silver, etc., or 
 on any metal : 
 
 Make a saturated solution of cyanide of po- 
 tassium and arsenic, and use iron anodes and 
 ordinary current. 
 
 To make this solution, boil the arsenic and 
 cyanide together in about 2 gallons of watei 
 to 2 pounds of cyanide and 1 pound of arsenic 
 which will when dissolved, be about saturated 
 If not, add a little more arsenic. Do not in- 
 hale the fumes as they are very poisonous. 
 Acid Copper Solution: 
 
 Water 1 Gallon. 
 
 Sulphate of copper. .32 Ounces. 
 
 Sulphuric acid 2 " 
 
 Steel Color on Brass. 
 
 Muriatic acid 1 Quart. 
 
 Iron filings or chips. 1 Handful. 
 White arsenic ...... 1 Tablespoonful. 
 
 Water • 1 Gallon. 
 
 Use hot. 
 
48 Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 FORMULAS. 
 
 Dark Brown Drab on Copper. 
 
 Sulpho Cyanide of 
 
 potash . 2 Pennyweights, 
 
 Nitrate of iron 5 
 
 Water 1 Gallon. 
 
 Red Copper Solution: 
 
 Water 75 Gallons. 
 
 Prepared red copper. 10 Pounds. 
 Cyanide of potassiuml2 
 Bisulphite of soda. . . 10 
 
 Brass Solution: 
 
 Carbonate of copper. 10 Ounces. 
 
 " zinc . . 5 
 Bisulphite of soda.. 10 
 Cyanide of potassium30 
 
 Water 5 Gallons. 
 
 A small amount of ammonia and arsenic. 
 
 Cyanide Copper Solution: 
 
 Carbonate of copper. 5 Ounces. 
 Bisulphite of soda. . . 2 
 Cyanide of potassiumlO 
 Water 1 Gallon. 
 
 Royal Copper: 
 
 Red lead 1 Pound. 
 
 Banner lye 2 
 
 Boil above 20 minutes in 1 gallon of water 
 and add it to 10 gallons of water. Use copper 
 anode. Rinse and heat until work becomes a 
 cherry red, and develop color by buffing. Use 
 a hard metal, copper preferred. 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 49 
 
 FORMULAS. 
 
 Tin Solution: 
 
 Muriate of tin 6 Ounces. 
 
 Phosphate of soda. . . 6 
 
 Acetic acid 2 
 
 Water 1 Gallon. 
 
 Use pure tin anode and low voltage. 
 Acetic acid hardens deposit. 
 
 Galvanizing Solution: 
 
 Water 1 Gallon. 
 
 Sulphate of zinc... 2 Pounds. 
 
 " " alum'm \y 2 Ounces.. 
 Zinc anodes. 
 
 Strip for Brass, Copper or German Silver : 
 
 Oil of vitriol 5 Gallons. 
 
 Nitric acid 10 Ounces. 
 
 Use hot and remove work as soon as strip- 
 ped. When acid is saturated, dilute six times 
 its volume with water, and precipitate with 
 salt water. 
 
 Gold Precipitate: 
 
 After cutting gold with aqua regia, precipi- 
 tate with aqua ammonia, (aqua regia is) 
 
 Nitric acid 1 part. 
 
 Muriatic acid 3 " 
 
 To Dissolve Arsenic : 
 
 Arsenic can be dissovlved in small quanti- 
 ties in the following alkalies and acids, readily 
 if hot, and slowlv if cold: 
 
50 Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 FORMULAS. 
 
 Nitric acid Ammonia 
 
 Sulphuric acid Cyanide of potassium 
 
 Acetic acid Caustic potash 
 
 Muriatic acid, Etc. Carbonate of soda, 
 
 Banner lye, etc. 
 
 Hydrosulphuret of Potash: 
 
 Caustic potash 8 Ounces. 
 
 Pulverized sulphur.. 16 
 
 Water 1 Quart. 
 
 Boil one hour. After cooling, filter and use 
 the clear liquid only. Add warm water, as it 
 boils away. It will turn a deep red color. 
 
 Quick Electrotype: 
 
 Fine copper bronze 
 
 powder 1 Ounce. 
 
 Plumbago 1 
 
 Rub above mixture on cast until a fine 
 surface is presented, and plate in acid copper 
 solution. 
 
 Bright Pickle for Iron: 
 
 Water 1 Gallon. 
 
 Sulphuric acid 12 Ounces. 
 
 Zinc 1 Ounce. 
 
 Nitric acid 5 Ounces. 
 
 Black Nickel Solution : 
 
 Take (10) gallons of regular nickel solution 
 (double sulphate of nickel and ammonia) 
 standing 6° Be, and add (1) pound sulpho- 
 cyanide of potassium and half a pound (Yi 
 lb.) C. P. sulphate of zinc. Use old anodes 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 51 
 
 FORMULAS. 
 
 and a current of about fi volts. Have the 
 solution decidedly alkaline with ammonia. 
 The zinc sulphate can be precipitated with sal 
 soda and washed thoroughly, then dissolved in 
 strong ammonia. The latter method will 
 make the solution sufficiently alkaline. A 
 small amount of aluminum sulphate added to 
 this solution will improve it. 
 
 Gold Strip: 
 
 Sulphuric acid C. P. . . 1 Pound. 
 Hydrochloric acid C. P. 2-2/3 Ounces. 
 
 Nitric acid 40° Be 1% Ounces. 
 
 Keep free from water. 
 
 Soldering Acid: 
 
 Cut zinc with muriatic acid to saturation, 
 and evaporate to 1/3 by boiling, and allow to 
 cool, and then add an equal volume of satur- 
 ated sal ammoniac solution, and add about 
 10% crude glycerine. The boiling prevents 
 sputtering when using. The glycerine pre- 
 vents discoloration of work. 
 
 Green Gold Solution: 
 
 Water 1 Gallon. 
 
 Gold as fulminate .... 4 Pennyweights. 
 
 Nitrate of silver 1 Pennyweight. 
 
 Cyanide 1 Ounce. 
 
 Blue Oxidize on any Metal: 
 
 Nitrate of lead 4 Ounces. 
 
 Nitrate of iron 2 Ounces. 
 
52 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 FORMULAS. 
 
 Hyposulphite of soda.. 16 Ounces. 
 
 Water 5 Gallons. 
 
 Use hot. 
 
 Blue Color on Steel: 
 
 Heat steel to straw color and plunge into 
 common machine oil. The work will take on 
 a beautiful blue color. 
 
 Flux for Melting Silver: 
 
 Bicarbonate of soda. 1 Pound. 
 
 Cream of tartar 1% " 
 
 Silver 1 
 
 Dip Gold Solution: 
 
 Water 1 Gallon. 
 
 Yellow prussiate of pot- 
 ash 12 Ounces. 
 
 Phosphate of soda ... .10 Ounces. 
 Sesquichloride of iron. . 2 Ounces. 
 Fulminate of gold .... 5 Pennyweights. 
 
 Solution must be kept in iron kettle and boil- 
 ing when in use. 
 
 Verde Green Solution: 
 
 Water 3 Quarts. 
 
 Chloride of calcium... 4 Ounces. 
 Chloride of ammonia. . 4 Ounces. 
 
 Nitrate of copper 4 Ounces. 
 
 Brush on work and stipple. 
 
 Acid Dip for Mat Finish on Brass : 
 
 Nitric acid 1 Part. 
 
 Oil of vitriol 2 Parts. 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 53 
 
 FORMULAS. 
 
 Add Sulphate of zinc to full saturation. If mat 
 finish is too coarse, add more oil of vitrol, if too 
 fine, add nitric. Use hot and keep water out of 
 dip as much as possible. 
 Fine Brown Bronze on Copper: 
 
 Nickel-ammonium sul- 
 phate (Double nickel 
 salts) 12 Ounces. 
 
 Copper sulphate 2 Ounces. 
 
 Water 2 Gallons. 
 
 Use hot. Dip work in solution two or three 
 minutes, take out, rinse in clean water, scratch 
 brush with dry brush. If not the color desired, 
 repeat as before. 
 
 Barbadienne Bronze : 
 
 First, plate object brass, then black nickel. 
 
 Second, put on a mixture of sanguine and 
 black lead, equal parts, and enough gum arabic 
 to make it stick, say about a wineglass full 
 of gum arabic to a pint of water, and enough 
 of water to make a very thin mixture. 
 
 Third, take equal parts of sanguine and pale 
 gold bronze, mix very fine by grinding. If 
 that does not give the desired shade add more 
 of either color and nothing else. Use good 
 varnish relief as for any bronze. 
 Flux to Clear Chloride of Silver of Chlorine: 
 
 Add to chloride of silver in crucible before 
 melting, 40% of calcined soda. Calcined soda 
 is made by heating sal soda on a hot surface 
 until it is dry, and in a fine powdery form. 
 
54 Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 FORMULAS. 
 To Crystallize Tin : 
 
 Bring the tin article to a straw color by 
 heating with blow pipe, and at once spray 
 with cool water, and then plunge it into dilute 
 sulphuric acid, which will bring out the 
 crystals. 
 
 A Simple Method for Testing Silver Solution 
 for Silver: 
 
 Take 4 ounces of silver solution to be tested, 
 and precipitate with hydrochloric acid. If 
 copper be present, it can be cut out easily with 
 nitric acid. The nitric will not cut the silver 
 After the silver has gone to the bottom, draw 
 off the fluid and place a small piece of zinc in 
 the silver, which will with the acid or a 
 few drops of sulphuric acid, drive out all 
 chlorine and cyanogen, leaving it a dark col- 
 ored pure silver' which must be dried and 
 weighed, which will give the true amount of 
 silver per gallon of solution by multiplying 
 by 32 the amount of silver found in 4 ounces 
 of solution, as there are 12S ounces to a gal- 
 lon, and we take 4 ounces of solution, so we 
 multiply by 32 which gives the number of 
 ounces per gallon. 
 
 Note: This method with proper manipula- 
 tion will give pretty near perfect results. 
 
Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 55 
 
 FORMULAS. 
 
 To detect Iron in Sulphate of Copper : 
 
 Dissolve sulphate of copper with ammonia 
 to excess, which will redissolve the copper, 
 and if iron be present it will remain at the 
 bottom as hydrate of iron. 
 Paint for Sectional Gold : 
 
 Take gumquac and break with a hammer 
 until it is in powder form, and then dissolve in 
 wood alcohol and let stand 24 hours. Then 
 strain through cheese cloth, and add any de- 
 sired aniline color. Remove with lye or 
 potash. 
 
 Another very good stop-off is 
 
 Collodion 1 Part. 
 
 Lacquer 1 Part. 
 
 Remove with lacquer thinner. 
 Terra Cotta Bronze: 
 
 Red sulphide of arsenic. % Ounce. 
 
 Pearl ash 6 Ounces. 
 
 Water 1 Gallon. 
 
 Sulphuret of potash ... 3 Pennyweights. 
 Use boiling hot. 
 Jet Black on Copper. 
 
 Water 3 Gallons. 
 
 Pulverized sulphur .... 9 Ounces. 
 
 Caustic Potash 1 Pound. 
 
 Boil until sulphur is all dissolved, then filter 
 and add to 20 gallons of water. Use cold on 
 copper, and scratch brush work before immer- 
 sion. Finish on soft rag wheel with kerosene 
 and rouge. 
 
56 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 FORMULAS. 
 
 Silver Solder: 
 
 Sterling silver 40 Parts. 
 
 Brass " 30y 2 " 
 
 Bronze Solution: 
 
 Water 1 Gallon. 
 
 Cyanide of potassium. . 6 Ounces. 
 
 Bisulphite of soda 2 Ounces. 
 
 Carbonate of copper . . 4 Ounces. 
 
 Chloride of tin % Ounce. 
 
 Use bronze anodes. 
 Black Nickel Solution: 
 
 Water 1 Gallon. 
 
 Nickel-ammonium sul- 
 phate (Double nickel 
 salts) 12 Ounces. 
 
 Sulpho cyan potash ... 3 Ounces. 
 
 Carbonate of copper. . . 2 Ounces. 
 
 White arsenic 2 Ounces. 
 
 Dip Silver Solution: 
 
 Water 1 Gallon. 
 
 Cyanide of potassium. . 2 Pounds. 
 
 Caustic potash y 2 Pound. 
 
 Chloride of silver 1 Ounce. 
 
 Stir well and use hot. 
 Royal Copper Solution: 
 
 Red lead i/ 2 . Pound. 
 
 Caustic stick potash . .A/ 2 . Pound. 
 
 Water 5 Gallons. 
 
 Use pure lead anodes. 
 
 Note: Copper plate work and then run in 
 above solution for a couple of minutes, and then 
 heat with blow-pipe flame and buff with red 
 rouge. 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 57 
 
 FORMULAS. 
 
 Black Nickel Smut for French Grey : 
 
 Oxide of nickel 5 Pounds. 
 
 Carbonate of copper. . . 1 Pound. 
 
 Sal soda 100 Pounds. 
 
 Water 150 Gallons. 
 
 Carbonate of ammonia. 5 Pounds. 
 
 Dissolve the copper and nickel in the ammonia. 
 
 Verde Antique Paint. 
 
 Chrome green, 
 
 yellow, 
 Zinc white, 
 
 A very little yellow ocher. Mixed to de- 
 sired consistency with turpentine. 
 
 Dip Black on Brass. 
 
 Water 1 Gallon. 
 
 Carbonate of soda 4 Ounces. 
 
 Carbonate of copper . . 1 Pound. 
 
 Ammonia 1 Quart. 
 
 Use hot or cold. 
 
 Crystallized Tin: 
 
 Dip tin goods in a hot solution of water and 
 sesquichloride of iron. 
 
 To Separate Silver Metal from Copper: 
 
 Cut the combination metals with nitric acid, 
 and then precipitate with hydrochloric acid, 
 which will throw the silver to the bottom as 
 chloride, and hold the copper in the solution 
 as chloride. 
 
58 Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 FORMULAS. 
 
 To Recover Gold from an Old Solution: 
 
 Place a quantity of scrap turnings or filings 
 of zinc in the solution which will collect all 
 the gold, after which draw off the solution, and 
 then cut the zinc with hydrochloric acid, leav- 
 ing the gold at. the bottom. 
 
 Note: Cyanide of silver is not soluble in ni- 
 tric acid unless heated. Cyanide of copper is 
 soluble in nitric acid cold or hot. 
 
 To remove fire stain from Sterling Silver : 
 
 Nitric acid 1 Part. 
 
 Water 1 " 
 
 Use hot. 
 
 To strip Silver from Steel: 
 
 Water 1 Gallon. 
 
 Cyanide of potassium. . 8 Ounces. 
 Chloride of silver .... y 2 . Ounce. 
 Use reverse current, 
 
 Stop-Off or Paint for Etching : 
 
 Virgin rubber dissolved with benzine. Add 
 a small amount, say J4 ounce of asphaltum to 
 a tablespoonful of virgin rubber. Cut the as- 
 phaltum with turpentine, and add the rubber 
 when dissolved to the asphaltum. This is 
 strictly acid proof. 
 
Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 59 
 
 FORMULAS. 
 
 Color Mixing Paints, Inks, etc. 
 Red and black make brown, 
 Lake and white make rose, 
 White and brown make chestnut, 
 White, blue and lake make purple, 
 Blue and lead color make pearl, 
 White and carmine make pink, 
 Indigo and lamp black make silver gray, 
 White and lamp black make lead color, 
 Black and Venetian red make chocolate, 
 Purple and white make French white, 
 Light green and black make dark green, 
 White and green make pea green, 
 White and emerald green make brilliant 
 
 green, 
 Red and yellow make orange. 
 White, lake and vermillion make flesh color, 
 Umber, white and Venetian make drab, 
 White, yellow and Venetian red make cream, 
 Blue, black and red make olive, 
 Yellow, white and a little Venetian red make 
 
 buff, 
 White and green make bright green. 
 White, blue and grey make pearl grey. 
 
 ACID COPPER PLATING SOLUTION. 
 
 Standard Formula: 
 
 Crystallized copper sulphate. 32 Ounces. 
 
 Water 1 Gal. (U.S.) 
 
 Copper Determination: 
 
 Put 5 c.c. of the solution using a pipette, in- 
 to a 250 c.c. beaker. Add about 100 c.c. water 
 and 25 c.c. cone, sulphuric acid. Cut off a 
 
60 Electro-Platixg and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 small strip (about l l / 2 inches square) of alumi- 
 num foil and place it in beaker. Heat gently 
 and the copper will be precipitated out as met- 
 allic copper. When solution becomes white, 
 the copper can be filtered off using glass wool 
 in funnel in place of filter paper. The filtrate 
 is tested for copper by passing in H 2 S gas, 
 which gives a black precipitate of copper sul- 
 phide if it is present, indicating that it was not 
 all precipitated by the aluminum foil. Wash 
 the copper on the funnel once with hot water, 
 then dissolve off the copper from the alum- 
 inum foil with warm cone, nitric acid pouring 
 into funnel and receiving the dissolved copper 
 in an Erlenmeyer flask. When all the copper 
 is dissolved, the solution is heated until all ni- 
 trous fumes are gone, then add ammonium 
 hydrate in slight excess and evaporate until 
 most of the free ammonia has disappeared. 
 Acetic acid is added in excess and heated. If 
 solution is not clear it should not be heated 
 too much as some of the copper will be lost by 
 volatilization. When all the copper is in solu- 
 tion cool and add ten grams potassium iodide, 
 making sure that all of it is dissolved before 
 beginning titration. The free iodine that is 
 liberated in the reaction is titrated with stand- 
 ard sodium thiosulphate solution, using starch 
 as an indicator. The reaction between the 
 copper acetate and potassium iodide is the 
 formation of copper iodide and the liberation 
 of iodine. 
 
Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 61 
 
 When the potassium iodide is added a yel- 
 low precipitate of cuprous iodide (Cu 2 L) is 
 thrown down. The starch is not added until 
 towards the end of the titration. It produces 
 a lilac color and the potassium thiosulphate 
 solution is added slowly until one or two 
 drops shows a change to a cream which re- 
 mains permanent and is not changed by the 
 addition of more sodium thiosulphate solution. 
 
 Calculation : 
 
 Multiply the number of c.c. of sodium thio- 
 sulphate used by the copper sulphate (Cu S 
 4 5 H20) value for 1 c.c, then divide by 5. 
 The result is multiplied by 133.54 which gives 
 ounces (av.) of copper sulphate per gallon 
 (U. S.) 
 
 The following example will illustrate it : 
 Used 61.0 c.c. sodium thiosulphate solution, 
 the copper sulphate value for 1 c.c. is .01964. 
 This multiplied by 61 will equal 1.19804, then 
 divided by 5 will equal .2396 ; multiply this by 
 133.54 will equal 32 ounces of copper sulphate 
 (Cu S Oj 5 H 2 0) per gallon. 
 
 Standard sodium thiosulphate: 
 
 Dissolve 39.2 grams of C. P. sodium thio- 
 sulphate in water and dilute to two liters. 
 This solution is quite stable. A slight decom- 
 position might occur soon after making the 
 solution due to carbon dioxide or oxygen in 
 the water. The solution should be kept in a 
 brown bottle as actinic light will decompose 
 
62 Ei fctro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 it. To standardize, take one gram of pure 
 copper foil and dissolve in about 20 c.c. dilute 
 nitric acid. When dissolved, dilute to 250 c.c. 
 Then take out 50 c.c. with pipette (this is 
 equivalent to .2 grams of copper) into an Er- 
 lenmeyer flask. Boil out nitrous fumes; then 
 add ammonium hydrate in slight excess and 
 evaporate until most of the free ammonia has 
 disappeared. Acetic acid is added in excess 
 and heated if solution is not clear. When all 
 the copper is in solution, cool and add ten 
 grams of potassium iodide. Then titrate with 
 the sodium thiosulphate solution. The end 
 point obtained when standardizing should be 
 remembered and be the same when titrating 
 samples. 
 
 The number of c.c. of sodium thiosulphate 
 used is divided into .2 grams, and the result 
 will be the number of grams of copper per ex., 
 and this multiplied by 3.9283 will give the cop- 
 per sulphate (Cu S 4 5 H 2 0) value of 1 c.c. 
 of the solution. 
 
 Starch Solution: 
 
 Mix 0.25 gram of potato starch with 10 c.c. 
 cold water; then add to boiling water with 
 constant stirring to make about 400 c.c. When 
 cold, use about 1 c.c. for titrating. It decom- 
 poses very readily and should be prepared 
 fresh every day. It produces an intense blue 
 with iodine, and if brownish red indicates de- 
 composition. The following are the reactions 
 that occur : 
 
Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 63 
 
 Copper acetate reacts with potassium iodide 
 liberating free iodine as follows : 
 
 2 Cu (C 2 H, 2 ) + 4K I = Cu 2 L + 4 
 (K C 2 H 3 2 )'+ 2 I 
 
 The free iodine colors the solution brown. 
 The iodine reacts with the sodium thiosul- 
 phate forming sodium iodide and sodium tet- 
 rathionate. 
 
 2 Na 2 S 2 3 -f- 2 I = 2 Na I + Na 2 S 4 O e . 
 The blue compound that is formed when 
 starch is mixed with iodine is of unknown 
 composition. It behaves towards sodium thio- 
 sulphate exactly as free iodine, and the reac- 
 tion occurs as in the above equation. 
 
 Sulphuric Acid determination: 
 
 Measure out 5 c.c. of the solution with pip- 
 ette into a 400 c.c. beaker; add 100 c.c. water 
 and about 1 drop of a 5% solution of methyl 
 orange. The solution will be a bright red. 
 Place beaker on a white surface. From a 50 
 
 N 
 c.c. burette add — sodium hydrate until solu- 
 
 1 
 tion in beaker becomes a golden yellow. This 
 indicates the end point. The number of c.c. 
 
 N 
 used of the — sodium hydrate is noted and cal- 
 
 1 
 culated as follows : 
 
 N 
 The number of c.c. — sodium hydrate used 
 1 
 
64 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 is multiplied bv the sulphuric acid value of 
 
 N 
 1 c.c. (exactly — Na O H will be .04904 
 
 1 
 grams) then divided by 5, and the result mul- 
 tiplied by 133.54 will give ounces (av.) of sul- 
 phuric acid (100% per gallon (U. S.). 
 Example : 
 
 'N 
 Used 8.0 c.c. — Na O H. The sulphuric 
 1 
 acid value of 1 c.c. is .04904. Multiply this by 
 8 will give .39232 and divided by 5 will equal 
 .07846; then multiply by 133.54 will give 10.48 
 ounces (av.) of sulphuric acid per gallon 
 (U. S.). 
 
 N 
 Standard — Sodium Hydrate : 
 1 
 Dissolve 80 grams C. P. sodium hydrate in 
 water and dilute to two liters. Standardize 
 
 N 
 with — sulphuric acid, using methyl orange 
 
 1 
 as an indicator. 
 1 c. c. exactly N Na O H = .0400 grams 
 
 T Na O H 
 
 1 c. c. '" " = .04904 grams 
 
 H 2 S 4 . 
 The following reactions occur in titrating: 
 H 2 S 4 + 2 Na O H = Na 2 S 4 + 2 H 2 O 
 Methyl orange is changed by alkalies to a yel- 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 65 
 
 low and by acids to a pink red, therefore in 
 titrating acidity it will indicate when suffi- 
 cient sodium hydrate has been added, as an 
 excess will change color to a yellow. 
 Copper Determination: 
 
 Put 10 c.c. of the solution with a pipette 
 into a 250 c.c. beaker. Add 15 c.c. cone. H CI, 
 Care should be taken not to inhale the gas, 
 as it is very poisonous. Boil a few minutes* 
 then add 5 c.c. H 2 2 and continue boiling for 
 fifteen minutes, adding water occasionally for 
 the loss by evaporation. After decomposition 
 of the cyanide 100 c.c. water are added and 
 solution heated, then H 2 S gas passed in for 
 about ten minutes to precipitate the copper 
 as Cu S. After precipitation, place beaker on 
 water bath until precipitate collects and falls 
 to the bottom, then filter it off washing with 
 Ho S water three or four times. The filtrate 
 is set aside for zinc determination. The filter 
 paper containing the copper sulphide is re- 
 moved from the funnel and the sulphide 
 washed into a 250 c.c. beaker. The small por- 
 tions that cannot be removed by washing can 
 be dissolved by pouring on cone, nitric acid, 
 adding sufficient finally to dissolve all of the 
 Cu S. Boil out excess of H N O s and filter off 
 any sulphur that has collected in small yellow 
 lumps. Filter into an Erlenmeyer flask and 
 neutralize with N H 4 O H, adding slight ex- 
 cess; then boil until N H 4 OH is faint. Add 
 excess of acetic acid and boil for a couple of 
 
66 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 minutes until ail the copper salts are in solu- 
 tion. Cool to the ordinary temperature (to 
 prevent volatilizing free iodine) and add 10 
 grams of K I. The free iodine is titrated with 
 standard sodium thiosulphate solution until 
 the brown tinge has become faint then add 
 sufficient starch solution to produce a decided 
 blue color the titration is continued with 
 vigorous shaking until a permanent cream 
 color is produced. The starch solution should 
 be weak as otherwise it tends to occlude 
 iodine forming very small lumps that are not 
 readily acted on by the thiosulphate solution. 
 About .25 gram in 400 c.c. of water is the cor- 
 rect strength to use. 
 
 BRASS PLATING SOLUTION. 
 
 Standard formula : 
 
 Dry copper carbonate 12 Ounces. 
 
 Dry zinc carbonate 7 Ounces. 
 
 Potassium cyanide 25 Ounces. 
 
 Water 1 Gallon. 
 
 Calculation : 
 
 Multiply the number of c.c. of sodium thio- 
 sulphate used by the copper value for 1 c.c. 
 (Cu C Oh Cu (OH) 2 Ha O). The formula dif- 
 bonate as figured from its theoretical formula 
 multiply by 1.8812. This will give copper car- 
 gallon. To convert this to copper carbonate. 
 Then divide by 10. The result multiplied by 
 133.54 will equal ounces (av.) of copper per 
 fers according to the method of manufactur- 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 67 
 
 ing the copper carbonate. A true basic copper 
 carbonate having the above formula would 
 analyze as follows : 
 
 Cupric oxide (Cu O) 66.54 
 
 Carbon dioxide (CO,) 18.40 
 
 Water (H,6) 15.06 
 
 100.00 
 Sodium Thiosulphate : 
 
 Use the same solution as is used for acid 
 copper. The copper carbonate (Cu C O s Cu 
 (OH), H 2 
 
 Value for 1 c.c. is found by multiplying the 
 copper value by 1.8812 or to find any other 
 value multiply by the following factors : 
 
 Cu X 1.2517 = Cu O 
 
 Cu O X 0.7989 == Cu 
 
 Cu X 1.8812 = Cu C 8 Cu (OH), H 2 
 
 Zinc Determination : 
 
 The filtrate from the Copper Sulphide is 
 boiled to expel H 2 S, then neutralized with 
 N H 4 O H. Add 10 c.c. cone. H CI and 5 
 grams of ammonium chloride and dilute to 
 250 c.c. Heat solution nearly to boiling, then 
 take out a portion, about 50 c.c. into another 
 beaker ; run into the remaining portion with 
 vigorous stirring standard potassium ferro- 
 cyanide solution until a brown tinge is pro- 
 duced, when a few drops is taken out 
 on a porcelain plate and mixed with 
 a solution of uranium acetate. The portion 
 that was taken into the beaker is then added in 
 
68 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 small portions at a time continuing the titra- 
 tion after each portion is added. After the 
 addition of the last portion the ferrocyanide 
 solution is added by drops until the end point 
 is obtained as a brown color with the uranium 
 acetate. A correction for the reaction with 
 the indicator, having the same conditions as, 
 above — that is, volume, temperature, ammon- 
 ium chloride and free acid, but without the 
 zinc — is determined. This correction, which 
 will not amount to more than a few tenths of 
 a c.c., is always subtracted from the burette 
 reading when a titration is made. 
 
 Calculation : 
 
 Multiply the number of c.c. of potassium 
 ferrocyanide solution used by the zinc value for 
 1 c.c then divide by 10. The result multi- 
 plied by 133.54 will equal ounces of zinc per 
 gallon. To convert this to zinc carbonate : 
 (5 Zn O. 2 C 2 4H 2 0), 
 multiply by 1.7315. 
 
 Basic zinc carbonates differ in composition 
 like the copper carbonate according to the 
 method of manufacture. The true basic zinc 
 carbonate has the above formula and would 
 test as follows : 
 
 Zinc oxide (ZN O) 71.77% 
 
 Carbon dioxide (C CX) 15.52% 
 
 Water (H 2 ) 12.71% 
 
 100.00% 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 69 
 
 Potassium Ferrocyanide : 
 
 48.6675 grams of Merck's pure potassium 
 ferrocyanide are dissolved in water and made 
 up to 2250 c.c. and kept in a brown bottle. 
 
 Uranium Acetate: 
 
 Dissolve 4.4 grams of Merck's salt in 100 
 c.c. of water and 2 c.c. of acetic acid. 
 
 Standardizing the potassium ferrocyanide 
 solution : 
 
 0.3 grams of Merck's pure zinc are dissolved 
 in 25 c.c. of dilute H CI (1 part H CI, 3 parts 
 H 2 0), then add 4 grams of pure N H 4 CI and 
 dilute to 250 c.c. with water and heat almost 
 to the boiling point. Then run in about 58 c.c. 
 of the potassium ferrocyanide solution, stir- 
 ring vigorously. Take out two or three drops 
 on a plate covered with parafine and mix with 
 a drop or two of the uranium acetate solution. 
 Continue the titration until the first faint 
 tinge of brown red color. Another portion 
 of 0.3 grams of zinc is also titrated and should 
 agree with the first portion within 0.1 c.c. A 
 correction for the reaction, having the same 
 volume of H 2 0, H CI, and same number of 
 grams of N H 4 CI but without the zinc, is 
 determined. This correction is deducted from 
 the number of c.c. used in titrating the 0.3 
 grams sample. 
 
 To find the value of 1 c.c. of potassium 
 ferrocyanide solution in terms of zinc, divide 
 0.3 by the corrected c.c. of the ferrocyanide 
 
70 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 used and the result will be the grams of zinc 
 in 1 c.c. of the potassium ferrocyanide solu- 
 tion. To find the value in terms of zinc ox- 
 ide or carbonate, multiply the zinc value by 
 the following factors : 
 
 Zn X 1.2448 = ZnO 
 
 Zn O X 0.8034 = Zn 
 
 Zn X 1.7345 = 5 Zn O. 2 C 2 . 4 H 2 
 
 The reactions that occur in titrating be- 
 tween zinc chloride and potassium ferrocyan- 
 ide vary according to temperature, quantity 
 of solution, and amount of acid. 
 
 The probable reactions, using the above 
 methods, are as follows: 
 4 Zn CI, + 2 K 4 Fe (C N) B = 8 K CI + 2 
 
 Zn 2 Fe C N, 
 A secondarv action then takes place : 
 6 Zn. Fe (C N) 6 + 2 K 4 Fe (C N) e = 4K, Zn 3 
 
 (Fe (C N) 6 " ) 2 . 
 
 RESULTS OBTAINED BY ANALYSIS 
 OF BRASS SOLUTION. 
 
 In making up a brass solution, put in the 
 metal at the rate of 5 parts carbonate of cop- 
 per, and 3 parts carbonate of zinc. One would 
 naturally think when a test was made of this 
 solution that the same proportion of copper 
 and zinc would be found, but I find that when 
 an analysis is made the proportions are quite 
 different, as there is always a sediment in the 
 bottom of a brass solution, and this sediment 
 in my experience is mostly zinc, with a very 
 small amount of copper. So do not run away 
 
Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 71 
 
 with the idea of being able to test your solu- 
 tion and get the same amount as you weighed 
 and put in, as it seems to be impossible to 
 make a brass solution and take up all the 
 metal. For instance' try and make up a stand- 
 ard brass solution, and that will show you 
 that it is next to impossible to take up all the 
 metal. I find the best way is to take a small 
 amount of solution from the top of one of the 
 tanks which is clear, and then standardize it 
 by analysis, which will prove to you the true 
 amount of metal in the solution. 
 
 For example, make up a solution of 
 12 Ounces copper carbonate, 
 6 Ounces zinc carbonate, 
 and then you say to yourself, I have a solution 
 with the above named amounts in it, you are 
 wrong as a good part of the. compound is ly- 
 ing on the bottom of the tank, and is not 
 in solution. 
 
 CYANIDE COPPER PLATING 
 SOLUTION. 
 
 Copper Determination: 
 
 Take 10 c.c. of the solution with a pipette 
 into a 250 c.c. beaker. Add 15 c.c. cone. H CI. 
 Care should be taken not to inhale the gas, 
 as it is very poisonous. Boil a few minutes, 
 then add 5 c.c. H 2 2 and continue boiling for 
 fifteen minutes, adding water occasionally for 
 the loss by evaporation. After decomposition 
 of the cyanide 100 c.c. of water is added 
 and solution heated, then H 2 S gas passed in 
 
72 Electro- Plating axd Analysis of Solutions 
 
 for about ten minutes to precipitate the copper 
 as Cu S. After precipitation place beaker on 
 water bath until precipitate collects and falls 
 to the bottom, then filter it off washing with 
 H 2 S water three or four times. The filter 
 paper containing the copper sulphide is re- 
 moved from the funnel and the sulphide wash- 
 ed into a 250 c.c. beaker. The small portions 
 that cannot be removed by washing can be 
 dissolved by pouring cone, nitric acid' adding 
 sufficient finally to dissolve all of the Cu S. 
 Boil out excess of H N 3 and filter off any 
 sulphur that has collected in small yellow 
 lumps. Filter into an Erlenmeyer flask and 
 neutralize with N H 4 O H, adding slight ex- 
 cess; then boil until N H 4 O H is faint. Add 
 excess of acetic acid and boil for a couple of 
 minutes until all the copper salts are in sol- 
 ution. Cool to the ordinary temperature 
 (to prevent volatilizing free iodine) and add 
 10 grams of K I. The free iodine is titrated 
 with standard sodium thiosulphate solution 
 until the brown tinge has become faint, then 
 add sufficient starch solution to produce a 
 decided blue color. The titration is continued 
 with vigorous shaking until a permanent 
 cream color is produced. The starch solution 
 should be weak, as otherwise it tends to 
 occlude, iodine, forming very small lumps that 
 are not readily acted on by the thiosulphate 
 solution. About .25 gram in 400 c.c. of water 
 is the correct strength to use. 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 73 
 
 Calculation : 
 
 Multiply the number of c.c. of sodium thio- 
 sulphate used by the copper value for 1 c.c. 
 Then divide by 10. The result multiplied by 
 133.54 will equal ounces (av.) of copper per 
 gallon. To convert this to copper carbonate' 
 multiply by 1.8812. This will give copper car- 
 bonate as figured from its theoretical formula 
 (Cu C 3 Cu (OH) 2 H 2 0). The formula dif- 
 fers according to the method of manufacturing 
 the copper carbonate. A true basic copper 
 carbonate having the above formula would 
 analyze as follows : 
 
 Cupric oxide (Cu O) 66.54 
 
 Carbon dioxide (C 2 ) 18.40 
 
 Water (H 2 0) 15.06 
 
 100.00 
 
 Standard Solutions: 
 Sodium Thiosulphate : 
 
 Use the same solution as is used for acid 
 copper. The copper carbonate (Cu C 3 Cu 
 (O H) 2 H.O 
 
 Value for 1 c.c. is found by multiplying the 
 copper value by 1.8812, or to find any other 
 value multiply by the following factors : 
 
 Cu X 1-2517 = CuO 
 
 Cu O X 0.7989 == Cu 
 
 Cu X 1.8812 = Cu C O, Cu (OH), H 
 
74 Electro-Platixg axd Analysis of Solutions 
 
 ASSAY TEST OF GOLD IN GOLD 
 PLATING SOLUTIONS. 
 
 Apparatus Necessary: 
 Evaporating Dish, 
 Crucible, 
 Gas furnace. 
 Cupel mould. 
 Balance, 
 100 c. c. Graduated flask. 
 
 Chemicals : 
 
 Sodium bicarbonate, 
 Lead oxide, 
 Argol, 
 Bone ash. 
 75 c.c of the solution is taken and evapor- 
 ated to dryness in an evaporating dish. The 
 residue is scraped off and put in a crucible 
 (any good sand or clay crucible about 4^ 
 inches in height will do) with the following 
 charge : 
 
 20 grams Na H C O s (Sodium bicarbonate) 
 70 " Pb O (Lead oxide) 
 
 3 " Argol (Cream of tartar) 
 The whole is now thoroughly mixed in the 
 crucible. It is now ready for the furnace. 
 The heat is applied slowly at first, gradually 
 increasing till the flux melts. The flux has 
 action and appears to boil mildly. The cruci- 
 ble is left in the furnace about 25 minutes, 
 being occasionally swirled and should not be 
 removed until all action in the crucible has 
 ceased. 
 
Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 75 
 
 It is now taken out, swirled and allowed to 
 cool. When cool the crucible is broken open 
 and a lead button is found in the bottom. This 
 button contains the gold and should be freed 
 from any particles clinging to it by hammer- 
 ing. 
 
 A bone ash cupel is now moulded and baked. 
 Cupels are made of bone ash slightly moist- 
 ened with water so that the powder will cling 
 together. The mixture should be well kneaded 
 before being put in the cupel mould. On com- 
 ing out of the mould it is slowly baked in the 
 furnace and if possible the cupel should be air 
 dried for a week or so although this is not es- 
 sential. 
 
 The lead button is now put in the cupel and 
 is ready for the furnace. A high heat is main- 
 tained for a few minutes in order that the lead 
 may melt quickly and oxidation commence as 
 soon as possible. After the fumes of lead oxide 
 are observed to rise from the surface of the 
 cupel, the heat is moderated and as free a flow 
 of air as possible is given. The lead is lost in 
 the air as lead oxide, and a great deal is ab- 
 sorbed by the cupel. When all the lead is gone 
 the lead loses all lustre. The change of color 
 is readily noticed and the cupel is withdrawn 
 from the furnace with its small bead of gold. 
 
 The gold is weighed and the pennyweights 
 per gallon may be calculated as follows : 
 
 Weight gold X 50.33=number grams per 
 gallon. 
 
76 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 Grams per gallon of solution. 
 Grams per gallon -r- 1.55=penriyweight per 
 gallon. 
 
 NICKEL PLATING SOLUTION. 
 
 Standard Formula: 
 
 Nickel ammonium sulphate (Dou- 
 ble nickel salts) 12 ounces. 
 
 Water 1 Gallon. 
 
 Nickel Determination: 
 
 Measure out 25 c.c. of the solution with 
 pipette into a 250 c.c. beaker. Add about 2 
 c.c. Cone, sulphuric acid and heat almost to 
 the boiling point. Pass in hydrogen sulphide 
 gas to precipitate any metals such as copper, 
 antimony, tin. If present, the precipitate is 
 filtered off, washing with H 2 S water, and after 
 washing thoroughly the filtrate is boiled to 
 expel H 2 S. When entirely free from H 2 S the 
 iron is oxidized with 5 c.c. of hydrogen per- 
 oxide and boiled until the hydrogen peroxide 
 is decomposed (takes about 15 to 20 minutes). 
 
 The iron found in nickel salts is an impurity 
 and should be present only as a trace. After 
 boiling about twenty minutes the iron is pre- 
 cipitated with ammonium hydrate filtered and 
 washed once or twice with hot water. The 
 precipitate is dissolved in dilute sulphuric acid 
 (1 part sulphuric acid and three parts water) ; 
 it is then reprecipitated with ammonium hy- 
 drate; the second filtrate is then added to the 
 first. This second precipitation is necessary 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 77 
 
 with large amounts of iron, as the iron oc- 
 cludes some of the nickel when it is precipita- 
 ted. 
 
 The filtrate is transferred to a 500 c.c. 
 beaker, boiled to expel free ammonia and neu- 
 tralized with sulphuric acid, using litmus 
 paper as an indicator. When solution is neu- 
 tral add 2 c.c. Cone, ammonium hydrate and 
 dilute solution to 250 c.c. with water; then 
 cool to 68° F. It is now ready to be titrated 
 with standard potassium cyanide solution as 
 follows : Run into the solution from a 50 c.c. 
 burette 5 c.c. of standard silver nitrate solu- 
 tion (prepared according to directions under 
 standard solutions). Add 0.5 c.c. of a 2% 
 solution of potassium iodide which throws 
 down a precipitate of silver iodide. This pre- 
 cipitate is used as an indicator to show when 
 all of the nickel has combined with the potas- 
 sium cyanide solution as an excess of potas- 
 sium cyanide will dissolve it. The beaker con- 
 taining the solution is placed on a black sur- 
 face and standard potassium cyanide solution 
 is run in slowly from a 50 c.c. burette until 
 the disappearance of the precipitate of silver 
 iodide. This indicates the end point, but 
 usually an excess of potassium cyanide is used 
 to dissolve the silver iodide, then this excess 
 can be found by running in the silver nitrate 
 until the first appearance of a precipitate; then 
 one or two drops of the potassium cyanide 
 solution should give a very clear solution. 
 
78 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 The number of c.c. of silver nitrate and potas- 
 sium cyanide used is read of! and amount of 
 nickel ammonium sulphate calculated as fol- 
 lows : 
 
 The c.c. of silver nitrate used is converted 
 into equivalent c.c. of potassium cyanide by a 
 factor found under silver nitrate solution. 
 After multiplying by this factor the c.c. ob- 
 tained are subtracted from c.c. of potassium 
 cyanide used, and the result will be the cor- 
 rect number of c.c. of potassium cyanide used 
 for titrating sample. The nickel ammonium 
 sulphate value on 1 c.c. of the potassium 
 cyanide solution (See potassium cyanide solu- 
 tion for this value) is multiplied by the c.c. 
 of potassium cyanide used,- and divided by 25 
 c.c, then the result multiplied by 133.54 will 
 give the ounces (av.) of nickel ammonium sul- 
 phate. 
 
 (Ni S 4 (N H 4 )o S 4 +6H 2 0) per gallon 
 (U. S.) 
 
 The following example will illustrate it: 
 
 The factor to convert c.c. of silver nitrate 
 to equivalent c.c. of potassium cyanide was 
 found to be 0.2. Used 30.4 c.c. of silver ni- 
 trate, and multiplying by 0.2 will equal 6.08 
 c.c. potassium cyanide. Ran into the solution 
 74.88 c.c. of potassium cyanide, then substract- 
 ing 6.08 will leave 68.8 c.c. of potassium 
 cyanide actually used. 
 
 The value of 1 c.c. of potassium cyanide 
 solution in grams of nickel-ammonium sul- 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 79 
 
 phate was found to be .03265, which multi- 
 plied by 68.8 c.c. will give 2.24632, and divided 
 by 25 c.c. will equal .0898, then multiplied by 
 133.54 will give 12 ounces of nickel-am- 
 monium sulphate per gallon. 
 
 Standard Silver Nitrate Solution: 
 
 Dissolve 11.6 grams of C. P. silver nitrate in 
 water and dilute to two liters. This solution 
 is to be kept in a brown bottle, as the light 
 will decompose it. To find the factor to give 
 equivalent c.c. of potassium cyanide solution, 
 take 15 c.c. of the silver nitrate, add 2 c.c. 
 Cone, ammonia and dilute with water to 250 
 c.c. Add 0.5 c.c. of potassium iodide and run 
 in potassium cyanide solution slowly until dis- 
 appearance of precipitate. The number of 
 c.c. used is divided by 15 c.c, and the result 
 will be the factor to convert c.c. of silver ni- 
 trate to c.c. of potassium cyanide. 
 
 Standard Potassium Cyanide Solution: 
 
 Dissolve 44.5 grams of C. P. potassium 
 cyanide (Merck's Reagent) in water and dilute 
 to two liters. Solution should be kept in a 
 brown bottle and will have to be standardized 
 every few days as it does not remain stable. 
 
 Standardize as follows : Weigh 1 gram C. 
 P. nickel (Electrolytic) and dissolve in 5 c.c. 
 of dilute nitric acid and 10 c.c. of dilute sul- 
 phuric acid and a little water. When dis- 
 solved, transfer to a 250 c.c. graduated flask; 
 
Electro- Plating axd Analysis of Solu 
 
 itioxs 
 
 cool, and dilute to 250 c.c. with water. Take 
 out 50 c.c. with pipette which is equivalent to 
 .2 grams of nickel. (50 c.c. is 1 of 250 c.c. and 
 
 5 
 1 of 1 gram is .2 gram). Neutralize with am- 
 5~ 
 
 monia; then add 2 c.c. in excess, and titrate 
 with the silver nitrate and potassium cyanide, 
 as in the directions already given. The c.c. 
 of potassium cyanide used is divided into .2 
 grams, and the result multiplied by 6.7314 will 
 be the nickel-ammonium sulphate (Ni S 4 
 (N H 4 ) 2 S O i 6H 2 O) value for 1 c.c. of the 
 potassium cyanide solution. 
 
 The following are the reactions that occur : 
 
 Silver nitrate reacts with potassium iodide 
 as follows : 
 
 Ag N 3 +K I=Ag I+K N 3 
 
 The reaction of nickel sulphate with potas- 
 sium cvanide is as follows : 
 
 Ni S 4 +4K C N=(K C N) 2 Ni (C N) 2 ) + 
 K 2 S 4 . 
 
 The silver iodide is dissolved by the potas- 
 sium cyanide during titration forming the 
 double salt potassium silver cyanide as in the 
 following equation : 
 
 Ag I+2K C N= KCN Ag C N + K I. 
 
 If cobalt is present it will be estimated with 
 the nickel. Its presence is shown by the solu- 
 tion darkening. 
 
Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 81 
 
 SILVER PLATING SOLUTION. 
 
 Standard Formula: 
 
 Silver Chloride 4 Ounces (av.) 
 
 Potassium Cyanide ... 12 ( a v.) 
 
 Water 1 Gallon (U.S.) 
 
 Silver determination : 
 Measure out 25 c.c. of the solution with a 
 25 c.c. pipette into a 400 c.c. beaker, using a 
 long rubber tube on pipette for aspirating the 
 solution so as to prevent it being sucked into 
 the mouth. Add 100 c.c. of water to the beaker 
 and heat almost to the boiling point, then pre- 
 cipitate the silver as silver sulphide (Ag 2 S) 
 with hydrogen sulphide gas (H 2 S). AVhen 
 complete precipitation has taken place, filter 
 off the silver sulphide on an E. and A. filter 
 paper 13 cm., washing the precipitate with 
 hydrogen sulphide water several times. The 
 paper and precipitate is removed from the 
 funnel, and the silver sulphide washed from 
 the paper into a 250 c.c. beaker with water. 
 (The adhering pieces on the paper can be re- 
 moved with Cone, nitric acid). The silver sul- 
 phide is dissolved in a small quantity of Cone, 
 nitric acid, then the solution is boiled to expel 
 the nitrous fumes, as their presence will inter- 
 fere with the titration. After boiling off the 
 nitrous fumes the solution is cooled and 
 diluted to about 150 c.c. with water and 
 titrated as follows : 
 
 Add 5 c.c. of a cold saturated solution of 
 iron alum (ferric ammonium sulphate). If 
 
82 Electro-Platixg axd Axalysis of Solutions 
 
 the solution becomes turbid, nitric acid is 
 added drop by drop until clear. Place the 
 beaker on a white surface and add the stand- 
 ard N potassium sulphocyanate solution from 
 
 10 
 a 50 c.c. burette with constant stirring until a 
 faint permanent reddish tinge of ferric sul- 
 phocyanate — Fe 2 (S C N) 6 — is produced. 
 The number of c.c. used is noted and the 
 ounces of silver chloride per gallon calculated 
 as follows : 
 
 Multiply the c.c. of N potassium sulpho- 
 10 
 cyanate used by the silver chloride value for 1 
 c.c. (for exactly N it is .01133 grams), then di- 
 
 10 
 vide by 25 (number of c.c. taken for analysis). 
 This will give the grams of silver chloride in 
 lc.c. of the plating solution. To convert this 
 to ounces (av.) per gallon (U. S.), multiply 
 by 133.54. 
 
 The following example will illustrate it: 
 Used 52.3 c.c. N potassium sulphocyanate; 
 
 lb 
 
 multiply by .01133 will equal .74916, and 
 divide by 25 will equal .02997 grams silver 
 chloride in 1 c.c. of plating solution, then mul- 
 tiply by 133.51, and the result will be 4 ounces 
 of silver chloride per gallon (U. S.) 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions S3 
 
 Standard N Potassium Sulphocyanate : 
 
 10 
 
 Dissolve 20 grams of potassium sulphocyan- 
 ate in water and dilute to two liters. Stand- 
 ardize it by taking 0.4 grams granulated silver 
 (999 fine) in a 250 c.c. dilute nitric acid (equal 
 parts of cone, nitric acid and water). After 
 the silver is dissolved, the solution is boiled to 
 expel nitrous fumes. When entirely free from 
 nitrous fumes (this is shown by no more yel- 
 low fumes coming off) the solution is cooled 
 and diluted to 150 c.c. with water; then add 
 5 c.c. of indicator (iron alum) and titrate with 
 the potassium sulphocyanate solution until 
 the first permanent pink is produced. The 
 number of c.c. used divided into 0.4 gram, 
 will give the grams of silver in 1 c.c. of the 
 solution, and this multiplied by 1.3287 will give 
 the grams of silver chloride in 1 c.c. of the 
 potassium sulphocyanate solution. 
 
 The following are the reactions that take 
 place in titrating: 
 
 Ag N Os+K S C N=Ag S C N +K N 3 
 An excess of potassium sulphocyanate then 
 reacts with iron alum as follows : 
 
 2 Fe N H 4 (S 4 ) +6 K S C N=Fe 2 (S C 
 N) e N H 4 ) 2 S 4 +3 K 2 S 4 . 
 
 This method is accurate in the presence of 
 copper (not exceeding 70% arsenic, antimony, 
 cadmium, lead, bismuth, tin, zinc, iron and 
 
84 Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 manganese. Mercury if present will interfere, 
 and therefore should be removed before 
 titrating. 
 
 Uncombined Cyanide determination: 
 
 Take 10 c.c. of the plating solution into a 
 400 c.c. beaker; add about 100 c.c. water and 
 2 c.c. of Cone, ammonium hydrate and about 
 1 c.c. of 2% potassium iodide solution; then 
 run in from a 50 c.c. burette N silver nitrate 
 
 To" 
 
 until a permanent white precipitate of silver 
 iodide is formed. This indicates the end point. 
 The number of c.c. of silver nitrate used is 
 noted and calculated as follows : 
 
 1 c.c. N^ Ag N O 3 =.005202 gms. C. N. The 
 
 To 
 
 number of c.c. Ag N O used times .005202= 
 "x" grams C N in 10 c.c. of the plating solu- 
 tion. Then "x" grams C N divided by 10 will 
 give the grams of C N in 1 c.c. of plating solu- 
 tion, which multiplied by 133.54 will be the 
 ounces (av.) of C N per gallon (U. S.). 
 
 This determination is figured as C N, not as 
 K C N, as the majority of the potassium cya- 
 nides on the market contain large quantities 
 of Na C N which would be included when 
 figuring the uncombined cyanide as K C N. 
 
 The uncombined cyanide is the K C N or 
 Na C N that has not combined with the Ag 
 CI to form the double salt Ag C N K C N as 
 in the equation : 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 85 
 
 Ag C1+2K C N=Ag CMC N+K CI. 
 
 In titrating the free K C N or Na C N with 
 Ag N Os'the double salt (Ag C N K C N) is 
 not titrated by the Ag N 3 , only the free K 
 C N or Na C N as in the following equations : 
 
 Ag N 3 +2 K C N=Ag CNKC N+K N 
 
 a ■ 
 
 Then an excess of Ag N O s reacts with the 
 Kl as follows : 
 
 Ag N 3 +K I=Ag I + K N 3 
 
 Standard N Silver Nitrate Solution: 
 
 10 
 
 Dissolve 33.978 grams of pure silver nitrate 
 in water and dilute to two liters. To stand- 
 ardize take 0.25 grams C. P. sodium chloride 
 (Merck's Reagent) in a 400 ex. beaker; add 
 100 c.c. water, and when all of the salt has 
 been dissolved add 1 c.c. of a 2% solution of 
 neutral potassium chromate as an indicator. 
 
 Place beaker on a white surface and titrate 
 with the silver solution from a burette until 
 a faint red tinge is obtained. The end point 
 is somewhat difficult to distinguish. The faint 
 red tinge can be more distinctly seen if an- 
 other beaker containing 150 c.c. water and 1 
 c.c. of the chromate solution is compared with 
 it. The sodium chloride solution should be 
 number of c.c. of silver nitrate solution used 
 neutral or faintly alkaline and cold. The 
 (exactly N would take 42.76 c.c.) divided into 
 
 10 
 
86 Electro- Plating axd Analysis of Solutions 
 
 0.25 grams sodium chloride will give the num- 
 ber of grams of sodium chloride in 1 c.c. of the 
 silver nitrate solution. The other values can 
 be found by multiplying the sodium chloride 
 value by the following factors : 
 Na'ci X 0.8898 = CN 
 " 2.2275 = KCN 
 " 1.6767 = NaCN 
 1 c.c. Exactly N_AgNO s = .005202 gms. CN 
 
 ' 10 
 1 c.c. " NAgN0 3 = .01302 " KCN 
 10 
 
 1 c.c. " JN[AgN0 3 = .009802 "NaCN 
 10 
 
 1 c.c. " N_AgNO a = .005846 " NaCl 
 10 
 
 CYANIDE DETERMINATION IN 
 POTASSIUM CYANIDE. 
 
 Weigh off about 15 grams of the potassium 
 cyanide in a tared weighing bottle, dissolve in 
 water without heat and dilute to 500 c.c. 
 
 Take out 10 c.c. with pipette into a beaker, 
 add 2 c.c. of Cone. N H 4 O H and 1 c.c. K I 
 solution (2%) and about 100 c.c. water, then 
 run in N Ag N O s from a burette until a per- 
 
 10 
 manent white precipitate of silver iodide is 
 formed. The number of c.c. of Ag N O s used 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 87 
 
 multiplied by .005202 and divided by the 
 weight taken, then multiplied by 100 = % CN 
 in sample. 
 
 Example : 
 
 15.281 grams of potassium cyanide were dis- 
 solved and diluted to 500 c.c., then 10 c.c. 
 (.3051 grams) required 23.45 c.c. N^ Ag N 3 
 
 10 
 
 23.45 X .005202=.121988-r-.3051=.3999X100 
 
 =39.99% C N. 
 
 Factors : 
 
 CN X 1-8843 = NaCN 
 CN X 2.5033 = KCN 
 NaCN X 0.53071 = CN 
 KCN X 0.39947 = CN 
 Ag X 1-3287 = AgCl 
 Ag X 0.4822 = CN 
 AgCl X 0.36291 = CN 
 Ag X 0.90847 = KCN 
 Ag X 0.68382 = NaCN 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 89 
 
 TOTAL POTASSIUM AND SODIUM 
 
 CYANIDE DETERMINATION 
 
 IN SILVER SOLUTION. 
 
 In an apparatus as shown below distill 10 
 c.c. of silver solution to be tested for cyanide, 
 potassium cyanide, or sodium cyanide, as fol- 
 lows : 
 
 Take 10 c.c. of silver solution, add 10 c.c. of 
 water (H 2 0), and place in Jena Kjeldahl Flask 
 (C) connected with stop cock funnel (D) and 
 connect with glass tube into Liebig Condenser 
 (F). On receiving end of condenser have bot- 
 tles (K & M) connected to collect steam. 
 Place in funnel (D) 25 c.c. sulphuric acid 
 (H 2 S 4 ) and 25 c.c. water (H 2 O) and then 
 place in bottle (K) at receiving end of con- 
 denser 50 c.c. water (H 2 O) and 1 gram of 
 sodium hydrate (Na OH). Add the sulphuric 
 acid and water that is in funnel (D) to the sil- 
 ver solution in Kjeldahl Flask (C) drop by 
 drop while over flame (B). A slow stream of 
 water must be kept running through the con- 
 denser (F) by connecting the lower rubber 
 'tube (J) with a water cock (O). When the 
 solution is boiled in the Kjeldahl Flask (C) by 
 means of a Bunsen burner flame (B) placed 
 under flask, the steam passes into the inner 
 
90 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 tube of the condenser (F). As this is sur- 
 rounded by cold water the steam condenses 
 and the distilled cyanide solution collects in 
 the receiver (K) at the other end of con- 
 denser. When all the cyanide has come over, 
 you will notice acid fumes in the flask. Then 
 titrate the cyanide solution which has been 
 collected in the receiver with N silver nitrate 
 
 10 
 solution (Ag N 3 ). 
 
 Before titrating-, take cyanide solution col- 
 lected from condenser, and add 1 c.c. potas- 
 sium iodide solution (K I) 2% solution, and 
 about 100 c.c. water, then run in from a bur- 
 ette N silver nitrate until a permanent white 
 
 10 
 precipitate of silver iodide is formed. This in- 
 dicates the end point. The number of c.c. of 
 silver nitrate used is noted and calculated as 
 follows : 
 
 1 c.c. N_ Ag N O 3 =.005202 gms. C N. The 
 10 
 number of c.c. Ag N 3 used times .005202= 
 "x" grams C N in 10 c.c. of the plating solu- 
 tion. Then "x" grams C N divided by 10 will 
 give the grams of C N in 1 c.c. of plating solu- 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 91 
 
 tion, which multiplied by 3785 will be the 
 grams cyanide per gallon. As there are 30 
 grams in one ounce, divide by 30 which will 
 be ounces per gallon. As there is only about 
 39 to 40% cyanide in potassium cyanide, you 
 multiply the amount of cyanide by 2.5, which 
 will give you the amount of potassium cyanide 
 per gallon in silver solution, minus 20% which 
 is lost. 
 
 The 20% loss in the above method is due 
 to the cyanide decomposing, etc., and about 
 7% of it turns into carbonate of potassium. 
 
 POTASSIUM CARBONATE IN SILVER 
 SOLUTION. 
 
 In an apparatus as shown in cut distill 5 c.c. 
 of silver solution to be tested for potassium 
 carbonate as follows : 
 
 Take 5 c.c. of silver solution, add 5 c.c. wa- 
 ter, and place in Jena Kjeldahl flask connected 
 with stop cock funnel, and connect with glass 
 tube into Liebig Condenser. On receiving 
 end of condenser have bottle connected to col- 
 lect steam. Place in funnel 25 c.c. sulphuric 
 acid (H 2 S 4 ) and 25 c.c. water (H 2 O) and 
 then place in bottle at receiving end of con- 
 denser 50 c.c. saturated solution of barium 
 hydroxide and water. This is water that has 
 taken into solution all the barium hydroxide 
 that it will hold. 
 
92 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 Add the sulphuric acid and water that is in 
 funnel to silver solution drop by drop while 
 over flame. A slow stream of water must be 
 kept running through the condenser by con- 
 necting the lower rubber tube with a water 
 cock. When the solution is boiled in the 
 Kjeldahl flask by means of a bunsen burner 
 flame placed under flask, the steam passes 
 into the inner tube of the condenser. As 
 this is surrounded by cold water the steam 
 condenses and the potassium carbonate in the 
 solution is broken up and carbon dioxide 
 (C 2 ) is distilled over the carbon dioxide 
 combines with the barium hydroxide to form 
 barium carbonate and water after the follow- 
 ing equation : 
 
 C 2 +Ba (O H) 2 = Ba C 3 +H 2 O. 
 
 The barium carbonate is a white precipitate. 
 
 When all is distilled over acid fumes will be 
 seen in the flask, and the flame is taken away. 
 
 The barium carbonate is filtered off and 
 heated in a weighed crucible. 
 
 When heated the barium carbonate is 
 changed to barium oxide and is then weighed 
 as such. 
 
 Ba C 3 =Ba O + C 2 . 
 
 The barium oxide is figured to potassium 
 carbonate in oz. per gal. as follows : 
 
 Wt. Ba O multiplied by .9=Wt; K 2 C O s . 
 
 Wt. K 2 C 3 -f-No. of c.c. taken. Then mul- 
 tiplied by 133.54=no. ozs. of K 2 C 3 in 1 gal- 
 lon of silver solution. 
 
Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 93 
 
 APPARATUS AND CHEMICALS NECES- 
 SARY FOR THE METHODS OF 
 ANALYSIS OF THE SOLUTIONS. 
 
 Yz pound ...Potassium Iodide, C.P. cryst. U. 
 
 S.P. 
 3^2 pound ...Potassium Sulphocyanate, C.P. 
 
 1 ounce . . . Phenolphtaleine, Pure, 
 Y^ pound ...Acid Carbolic, C.P. 
 
 2 ounces ..Silver Nitrate, C.P. 
 
 1 pound . . . Sodium Hydroxide Electrolytic 
 
 sticks. 
 1 ounce . . . Nickel Metal Co. free Gran. C.P. 
 25 grams . . . Copper Electrolytic Foil Kb. 
 Reag. 
 y 2 pound ...Aluminum Metal Foil 5/1000 in., 
 pure. 
 1 pound . . . Hydrogen Peroxide Marchand, 
 Yz pound ...Ammonium Molybdate C.P. 
 
 5 pounds . .Iron Sulphide Broken Plates 
 1 book ....100 Strips each Litmus Blue 
 1 book ....100 Strips each Litmus Red 
 
 4 pounds . .Ammonium Hydrate 26 deg. 
 
 Baker's anal. chem. 
 9 pounds . .Acid Sulphuric, 1 
 
 6 pounds . .Acid Hydrochloric 
 
 7 pounds ..Acid Nitric 
 
 1 Bunsen Burner, 
 
 4 feet Rubber Tubing, Black, % 6 inch 
 
 diam., (4 ozs.) 
 
 3 feet Rubber Tubing, % inch diam., (6 
 
 ozs.) 
 
94 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 1 . . . . , Tripod, Iron, 
 
 3 Beakers, Jena, Griffin's, 250 c.c, 
 
 2 ditto 400 c.c, 
 
 2 . ditto 600 c.c. 
 
 2 Flasks, Jena Erlenmeyer 500 c.c. 
 
 1 Cylinder, Lipped, Graduated 100 
 
 c.c. 
 
 2 Burettes, Mohr's, 50 c.c. 1 / 10 c.c. 
 
 subdivisions, 
 
 1 ditto 100 c.c. y 10 c.c. 
 
 subdivisions, 
 
 1 Support for Burettes, 
 
 1 Flask, 250 c.c. 
 
 1 " 1000 c.c. 
 
 Reagent Bottles White Labels 
 and Black Letters : — 
 
 1 Reagent Bottle 12 oz. "Acid Sul- 
 phuric Cone." 
 
 1 Reagent Bottle 12 oz. "Acid Sul- 
 phuric Dil." 
 
 1 Reagent Bottle 12 oz. "Acid Hy- 
 drochloric." 
 
 1 Reagent Bottle 12 oz. "Acid Ni- 
 tric." 
 
 1 Reagent Bottle 12 oz. "Ammoni- 
 
 um Hydrate." 
 
 2 Funnels, Glass, 3 inch diameter, 
 
 1 Nest of three Funnels, Glass 
 
 6 Funnels Cylindrical, 2 ozs., 
 
 1 Pipette 5 c.c. 
 
 1 " 10 c.c. 
 
 1 " 25 c.c. 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 95 
 
 1 Pipette 50 c.c.' 
 
 1 " 100 c.c. 
 
 1 Thermometer 400 deg. F., 
 
 1 box Labels, #201, 
 
 1 box " 223, 
 
 1 Spatula, Blade 3 inches, 
 
 1 Gas Generator, Dudley's for H2S 
 
 1 pound . . . Glass Tubing, % inch external di- 
 ameter, 
 
 1 pound . . . Glass stirring rods, assorted sizes, 
 
 1 File, Triangular, 4 inch, 
 
 1 Wash Bottle, 1 Pint, 
 
 1 Wash Bottle, 1 Quart, 
 
 1 Support for Funnels, 
 
 2 pkgs. . . . Filter Papers, E. & A. diameter 13 
 
 cm., 
 
 3 Watch Glasses 3% inch diameter, 
 
 3 " " 4 inch diameter, 
 
 y 2 dozen ,. . .Test Tubes 6x^ inch., 
 
 1 Support for 13 Test Tubes, 
 
 1 Kjeldahl Connecting Bulbs Tube, 
 
 small, 
 
 1 Condenser, Liebig end drawn out 
 
 15 inches, 
 
 2 Drying Tubes (Peligot Tubes) 6 
 
 inch., 
 
 3 Rubber Stoppers, solid, 
 
 No. 1, 6 ozs. 
 
 3 Rubber Stoppers, solid, 
 
 No. 5, 6 ozs. 
 
 3 Rubber Stoppers, solid, 
 
 No. 6, 6 ozs. 
 
96 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 ANTIDOTES FOR POISONS USED IN 
 PLATING ROOM. 
 
 Nitric, hydrochloric or sulphuric acids : Ad- 
 minister abundance of tepid water to act as 
 an emetic, or swallow milk, the white of eggs, 
 some lime, or a mixture of chalk and water. 
 
 If those acids in a concentrated state have 
 been spilled on the hands or any part of the 
 skin, apply a mixture of whiting and olive oil. 
 If the quantity is very small, simple swilling 
 with plenty of cold water will suffice. 
 
 Useful Mixture : 
 
 Mixture, is in cases of burning with strong 
 sulphuric acid, is formed with 1 ounce of quick 
 lime slacked with % of an ounce of water, then 
 adding to a quart of water. After standing 2 
 hours, pour off the clear liquid and mix it with 
 olive oil to form thin paste. 
 
 Potassium Cyanide, Hydrocyanide Acid, etc. 
 
 If cyanides, such as a drop of an ordinary 
 plating solution, has been accidentally swal- 
 lowed, water as cold as possible should be run 
 on the head and spine of the sufferer, and a 
 dilute solution of iron acetate, citrate, or tar- 
 trate administered. 
 
 If hydrocyanic acid vapors have been in- 
 haled, cold water should be applied as above, 
 and the patient be caused to inhale atmos- 
 pheric air containing a little of chlorine gas. 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 97 
 
 It is a dangerous practice to dip the arms 
 into a plating solution to recover any work 
 that has fallen off the wires, because the skin 
 often absorbs cyanide liquids, causing painful 
 sores, in such a case, wash well with water 
 and apply with olive oil and lime water. 
 
 Mixture, Alkalies: 
 
 These bodies are the opposite to acids in 
 character, so that acids may be used as anti- 
 dotes. It is preferable to employ weak acids, 
 such as vinegar or lemonade ; but if these are 
 not at hand, then use exceedingly dilute sul- 
 phuric or even nitric acid diluted, so that it 
 just possesses a decidedly sour taste. After 
 about 10 minutes take a few teaspoonsful of 
 olive oil. 
 
 Mercury Salts. 
 
 The white of an egg is the best antidote 
 in this case. 
 
 Sulphur or sulphureted hydrogen are also 
 serviceable for the purpose. 
 
 Copper Salts. 
 
 The stomach should be quickly emptied by 
 means of emetic, or in want of this, the patient 
 should thrust his finger to the back of his 
 throat so as to tickle the uvala, and thus in- 
 duce vomiting. After vomiting, drink milk, 
 white of an egg, or gum water. 
 
98 Electro- Plating axd Analysis of Solutions 
 
 Lead Salts: 
 
 Proceed as in case of copper salts. Lemon- 
 ade, soda water and sodium carbonate are 
 also serviceable. 
 
 Acid Vapors: 
 
 Admit immediately an abundance of fresh 
 air, and inhale the vapors of ammonia, or a 
 few drops of ammonia may be put into a 
 glass of water and the solution drank. Take 
 plenty of hot drinks, and excite warmth by 
 friction. Employ hot foot-baths to remove 
 the flood from the lungs. Keep the throat 
 moist by sipping milk. 
 
 Removal of Stains, etc. 
 
 To remove stains of copper sulphate, or 
 salts of mercury, gold, silver, etc., from the 
 hands, wash them with a very dilute solution 
 of ammonia, and with plenty of water; if the 
 stains are old ones, they should be rubbed with 
 the strongest acetic acid, and then treated 
 as above. 
 
 GREASE, OIL, TAR, ETC., may be re- 
 moved from the hands or clothes by rubbing 
 with a rag saturated with benzine, turpentine,, 
 or carbon bisulphide. 
 
Electro- Plating and Analysis' of Solutions 99 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Page 
 
 Apparatus for Salt Water Gold Plating 39 
 
 Apparatus Necessary for Determination of Cyanides. .. .88 
 
 Conductors 2 
 
 Motor Generator "Excel- All" 20 
 
 "None-Such" Carboy Rocker 26 and 36 
 
 "None-Such" Plating Barrel 25 
 
 "None-Such" Plating Barrel, Table Type 29 
 
 Plan of Plating Room 16 
 
 Plating Dyanamo, "Excel-All", 17 
 
 Plating Rheostat 24 
 
 Rheostat and Wattmeter 41 
 
 Sprayers for Lacquering 46 
 
 Standard Ammeter 18 
 
 Standard Voltmeter 21 
 
 Steel Ball Burnishing Barrel, Double 44 
 
 Steel Ball Burnishing Barrel, Single .43 
 
 ARTICLES. 
 
 Acid Copper Plating Solution 47-59 
 
 Acid Dip for Matt Finish on Brass 52 
 
 Acid, Soldering 51 
 
 Air Brushes, Uses of 46 
 
 Apparatus and Chemicals Necessary for Analyzing, 
 
 List of 93 
 
 Arsenic, to Dissolve 49 
 
 Barbadienne Bronze, Formula for 53 
 
 Barrel Plating 25 
 
 Blue Oxidize on Any Metal 51 
 
 Brass, Black Dip on 57 
 
 Brass Plating Solution, Chemical Determinations in ....66 
 
 Brass Plating, Solution for 22-66 
 
 Brass Solution 48 
 
 Brass, Steel Color on 47 
 
 Bronze Solution 56 
 
 Bronze Terra Cotta 55 
 
 Burnishing with Steel Balls 42 
 
 Calculations for Chemical Analysis of Solutions 
 
 61, 63, 65, 66, 67 and 73 
 
100 Electro- Plating and Analysis of Solutions 
 
 Page 
 
 Casket Hardware, to Silver Plate 27 
 
 Cast Iron, to Clean and Cleaning Solution for 3 
 
 Chemicals Used in Plating Room, List of . . .45 
 
 Chloride of Silver, Flux for Clearing 53 
 
 Conductors, Various Kinds 2 
 
 Copper or Brass, to Color Dark Brown 36 
 
 Copper, Dark Brown, Drab 48 
 
 Copper, Cyanide, Solution 48 
 
 Copper, Fine Brown Bronze on 53 
 
 Copper, Jet Black on .55 
 
 Copper Plating, Solution for 21 
 
 Copper, Red, Solution 48 
 
 Copper, Royal Formula for 48 and 56 
 
 Copper, to Determine in Acid Copper Solution 59 
 
 Crystallized Tin Finish 54 
 
 Cyanide Copper Plating Solution, Analysis of 71 
 
 Equations, Some Simple Plating 8 
 
 Etching Paint for a Stop Off 58 
 
 Electrical Terms, Definitions of 1 
 
 Elements, a List of the 6 
 
 Formula for Color Making Paints and Inks 59 
 
 French Grey, Black Nickel Smut for 57 
 
 Galvanizing Solution 49 
 
 Gilding Solution for Table Ware 34 
 
 Gilders Wax 35 
 
 Gold, Assay Test of Any Gold Solution .74 
 
 Gold Dip Solution 52 
 
 Gold, Green, Solution for 37-51 
 
 Gold Plating, 14 to 18 Karat Color Directions for 35 
 
 Gold, Precipitate of 49 
 
 Gold Strip, Formula for 51 
 
 Gold, to Recover, From an Old Solution 58 
 
 Gun Metal Finish 47 
 
 Holloware, to Silver Plate 31 
 
 Iron, Bright Pickle for 50 
 
 Lacquer, Points on 39 
 
 Lacquer, Water Dip, Use of 41 
 
 Lead and Spelter, to Silver Plate 32 
 
 Metals, to Clean Before Plating 4 
 
 Metric Equivalents, Various 13 
 
 Nickel, Black, Solution 50 and 56 
 
 Nickel Determination 76 
 
 Nickel Plating Solution, Analvsis of 76 
 
Electro-Plating and Analysis of Solutions 101 
 
 Page 
 
 Nickel Plating, Solution for 19 
 
 Old Ivory Finish 26 
 
 Ormolu Gold Finish on Lead Work 37 
 
 Plating Room, Electrical Requirements Necessary for 
 
 the 15 
 
 Poisons Used in Plating Rooms, Antidotes for 96 
 
 Potassium Cyanide, Standard, Solution 79 
 
 Potassium Cyanide, to Determine Cyanide in 86 
 
 Potassium, Hydro Sulphuret of 50 
 
 Quick Electrotype Formula 50 
 
 Results Obtained by Analysis of Brass Solution 70 
 
 Rose Gold, Directions for Finishing 33 
 
 Salt Water Gold Solution, Outfit for 39 
 
 Sectional Gold, Paint for 55 
 
 Silver Dip Solution 56 
 
 Silver, Flux for Melting 52 
 
 Silver Nitrate, Standard, Solution 79 
 
 Silver Plating Solution, Standard Formula for 81 
 
 Silver Solder 56 
 
 Silver Solution, Brightener for 37 
 
 Silver Solution, Potassium Carbonate in 91 
 
 Silver Solutions, Simple Method for Testing 54 
 
 Silver Solution, Total Potassium and Sodium Cyanide 
 
 in 89 
 
 Silver, to Separate, from Copper 57 
 
 Silver, to Strip, from Steel 58 
 
 Silver White Finish, Solution for 26 
 
 Strip for Brass, Copper or German Silver 49 
 
 Stains, to Remove 98 
 
 Steel, Blue Color on 52 
 
 Steel Knives, to Silver Plate 30 
 
 Sterling Silver, to Remove Fire Stains from -. 58 
 
 Sulphuret of Copper, to Detect Iron in 55 
 
 Sulphuric Acid, Determination in Acid Copper Solution 63 
 
 Tin, to Crystallize 54 
 
 Tin Solution 49 
 
 Verde Antique Paint 57 
 
 Verde Green Solution 52 
 
 Weights and Measures, Tables of Various Kinds of . . 9 
 Zinc, Determination in Brass Plating Solution 67 
 
237 90 
 

 
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