Introduction
AgAuShield Plus is a water base solution which provides excellent protection for silver/silver alloy and gold/gold alloy surfaces. Tarnish resistance, anti-sulfide ability, and wear resistance are all improved dramatically after coating with the AgAuShield Plus protective agent.
Properties
● An ultra-thin protection film is formed after the workpieces are immersed in the AgAuShield Plus solution at 50ºC for 0.5 to 5.0 minutes.
● There is no negative effect on contact resistance and solderability.
● Wear resistance and tarnish resistance is improved dramatically.
● A short heat treatment of 200ºC will not adversely affect the protective properties of the ultra-thin film.
● Treatment with AgAuShield Plus does not cause water stains.
● AgAuShield Plus has a long bath life.
Composition of Plating Solution
AgAuShield Plus is dissolved in heated water (50ºC). It is then ready to use.
Operating Conditions
Parameter | Unit | Range | Optimal |
AgAuShield Plus | mL/L | 20 - 50 | 50 |
Temperature | ℃ | 45 - 55 | 55 |
Immersion Time | Minutes | 0.5 - 4.0 | 2.0 |
Acidity of Solution | pH | 9 - 11 | 9 - 11 |
Note: A longer immersion time will result in superior protection.
Solution Maintainance
DI water can be added to compensate for water evaporation. The reactive compound concentration needs to be maintained in 100%. Please see the “AgAuShield Plus Working Solution Maintenance and Addition” section for more details.
Preparation and Operation of Solution
Note: Before using AgAuShield Plus, shake the AgAuShield Plus for 1 minute at room temperature (below 25ºC).
1. Clean the container
2. Add 75% volume DI water and heat it to a temperature of 50 to 55ºC
3. Add AgAuShield Plus, and stir to form a homogeneous solution
4. Add water to the desired level, and stir the working solution for at least 1 minute
5. Adjust the working temperature to 50 to 55ºC
Equipment
Container: Stainless steel or PP
Ventilation: Required
Heat: PTFE
AgAuShield Plus Working Solution Maintenance and Addition
AgAuShield Plus Working Solution Concentration (%) | Concentrated AgAuShield Plus Addition (mL/L) |
100 90 80 70 60 50 | 0 5 10 15 20 25 |
A. Note: Since the working solution is a gel solution, the particle size greatly affects the analysis results. This method is not very accurate for analyzing an aged working bath.
1. Procedure:
a) Put 20mL of the AgAuShield Plus working solution in a 250mL V flask
b) Add 20mL 0.1N Iodine
c) Stir for 10 minutes
d) Use 0.1N NaS2O3 to titrate to light yellow
e) Add 1mL 1% starch indicator
f) Continue to use 0.1N NaS2O3 to titrate to colorless (record the total V)
2. Calculation: AgAuShield Plus % = 400 - 20V
B. Troubleshooting
Issue | Causes | Solutions |
Water stains | Workpiece parts are unclean | Ensure all parts are clean before applying AgAuShield Plus protective agent |
Water rinse bath is contaminated | Use warm water or clean more thoroughly | |
Poor results on K2S 5% testing | Insufficent AgAuShield Plus | Adjust AgAuShield Plus to 100% |
Incorrect temperature | Adjust the temperature to 50ºC | |
Insufficient immersion time | Extend the immersion time | |
Rinse water temperature is above 30℃ | Decrease the rinse water temperature to 30℃ |