Electro-Galvanizing Setup and Optimal Parameters

1. Evaluation of the Proposed Setup

Your planned electro-galvanizing setup is generally well-conceived and in line with professional plating
practices. Key positive aspects include:

• Power Supply & Anodes: The Ametek Sorensen XHR 0–40 V/0–25 A supply provides ample voltage
headroom and current for a ~10 gallon zinc plating bath. Pure zinc anodes (99.99% Zn) are
appropriate for an alkaline zinc plating bath 1 . High-purity anodes minimize impurities and ensure
consistent dissolution. It’s advisable to use anode bags (e.g. polypropylene fabric) around zinc
anodes to catch any zinc oxide sludge, which helps keep the solution clean 2 . Remove or lift
anodes out of the solution during long idle periods to prevent excess dissolution of zinc into the
caustic bath when not plating 3 .

• Bath Container & Fixtures: A 10-gallon plastic tank (PP or PVC) with circulation and filtration is
excellent for maintaining solution quality. Continuous filtration (5 micron filter) will remove
particulates and any precipitates, yielding a smoother deposit 4 . Agitation via a pump or gentle air
sparging is beneficial for mixing chemicals and improving plating uniformity. (Air agitation is
commonly used in vat plating, but ensure the air is oil-free 2 .) Good solution movement helps
achieve more uniform thickness and allows higher current density without burning 5 .

• Temperature Control: Your plan for an immersion heater with Arduino control will help maintain
the bath at optimal temperature (discussed below). Consistent temperature improves plating rate
and quality 6 . Just ensure all heating elements (or coils) are chemically resistant to concentrated
NaOH (stainless steel can corrode in caustic; use titanium, Inconel, Teflon-coated, or glass heaters as
you noted).

• Work Handling: Using a nickel-plated steel basket for small parts is a sound approach (akin to
barrel plating on a small scale). The nickel plating will protect the basket from corrosion in the highly
caustic bath and reduce iron contamination of the solution. Periodic shaking or mild agitation of the
basket will indeed improve contact and exposure of all parts to the electrolyte. Keep in mind that in
such “barrel” plating mode, electrical contact can be intermittent, so plating current must be kept
on the lower side (see current density guidance below) to avoid sparking or burning when parts
momentarily lose contact. For larger individual parts (rack plating), ensure a solid electrical hookup
(e.g. copper wire or rack clips) and consider using multiple anodes placed around the part to get
even coverage.

• Surface Preparation: Your multi-step cleaning regimen (mechanical abrasion, degreasing,

ultrasonic cleaning, etc.) is very thorough. Degreasing is critical – a heated alkaline degreasing soak
or electrolytic cleaner can be used before pickling to remove oils. The HCl acid pickle (discussed
more below) will effectively remove oxides and activate the steel surface. After pickling, a thorough
water rinse (and even a brief dip in 1–2% NaOH solution to neutralize any lingering acid) is

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 recommended before transferring parts into the plating bath – this avoids dragging acid into the
alkaline zinc bath, which could upset its chemistry. Given your attention to removing rust and scale
(sandblasting, acetic acid derusting, etc.), the parts should be very clean and active for plating. This
will help the zinc deposit adhere well.

• Chromate Post-Treatment: Finishing with a yellow chromate conversion coating (hexavalent Cr⁶⁺
type) is indeed how OEMs historically achieved high corrosion resistance on zinc-plated parts. Your
awareness of the safety precautions for handling Cr⁶⁺ is important – ensure you use proper PPE
(gloves, apron, respirator, ventilation) and have a plan for waste treatment of the chromate solution.
The hexavalent yellow chromate will greatly increase corrosion protection by sealing the zinc and
providing self-healing properties (Cr⁶⁺ in the coating can redeposit into scratches over time) 7 . This
approach should meet or exceed typical automotive specs for bracket and fastener plating (for
example, ASTM B633 Type II zinc plating with yellow chromate, which is commonly required for
automotive hardware).

In summary, your setup is technically sound and aligned with professional practices. The combination of a
well-maintained alkaline zinc plating bath, proper surface prep, and a hexavalent chromate post-dip is
capable of producing OEM-quality corrosion resistance on steel parts. Just be sure to maintain the bath
chemistry within recommended ranges and follow all safety protocols (both for the caustic plating bath and
the toxic chromate). We will detail the specific parameters (temperatures, concentrations, currents) below.

(As an additional note beyond your questions: if you plate high-strength steel fasteners or springs (e.g. grade
8.8/10.9/12.9 bolts), it is good practice to bake them soon after plating (e.g. 4 hours at 190 °C) to relieve hydrogen
embrittlement 8 . This is a standard OEM requirement for critical fasteners. Baking isn’t needed for mild steel
brackets, but I mention it for completeness regarding “exceeding OEM quality”.)

2. Optimal Bath Temperatures

Proper temperature control will improve plating consistency and coating quality. The recommended
temperatures for each bath in your process are:

• Alkaline Zinc Plating Bath: Operate the ZnO/NaOH plating bath at 20–35 °C (68–95 °F). Room
temperature is acceptable, but a slightly elevated temperature (around 30 °C is often ideal) can
improve conductivity and plating efficiency 9 10 . In practice, many platers run alkaline zinc baths
at ~25–30 °C. Avoid going much above 35 °C – higher temperatures can lead to coarser-grained,
dull gray deposits 11 . Your heater and controller will be useful, especially if the shop is cold;
maintaining ~25–30 °C will ensure uniform results. Also note that plating current generates some
heat in the bath, so cooling (through coils or just by turning off heaters) may be needed if doing long
high-current runs 6 .

• Acid Pickle (HCl) Bath: Use the hydrochloric acid pickle at room temperature. Ambient 20–25 °C
(68–77 °F) is effective for removing rust/oxides when using HCl in the typical concentration range
(see §3 below). There is generally no need to heat an HCl pickle – heating would dramatically
increase fuming and acid attack on the steel. At room temp, 10–15% HCl will strip rust and mill scale
in a few minutes without undue aggression. Ensure good ventilation regardless, and consider
adding a corrosion inhibitor to the acid to protect the bare steel from over-etching once the rust is

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 gone 8 12 . After pickling, rinse thoroughly with water to stop the acid action and avoid carry-over
into the plating tank.

• Yellow Chromate Conversion Bath: Perform the chromate passivation dip at room temperature
(∼20–30 °C). Most hexavalent chromate conversion processes are designed to work at ambient
temperature with immersion times on the order of a few seconds up to ~1 minute 13 14 . Do not
heat the chromate bath above about 40 °C, as elevated temperatures can shorten the coating life
or reduce its effectiveness on zinc. In fact, chromate films are somewhat delicate when fresh; they
are typically formed at room temp and then aged or cured as they dry. (Curing can be accelerated by
warming up to ~70 °C, but exceeding ~60 °C can diminish corrosion resistance of the chromate on
zinc 15 .) In summary, use the chromate solution cold/room-temp – this will form the best protective
gel-layer on the zinc 13 . Dip times of ~20–30 seconds at room temp usually produce a good thick
yellow film; longer dips (or slightly higher chromate concentration) produce darker, more olive-drab
tones with even greater corrosion protection 7 .

3. Bath Concentrations (Chemistry of Plating and Conversion Baths)

Here we detail the makeup of the key baths: the alkaline zinc plating solution, the acid pickle, and the
chromate conversion solution. It’s crucial to maintain these concentrations within proven ranges for optimal
performance:

• Alkaline Zinc Plating Bath (ZnO + NaOH): A typical non-cyanide alkaline zinc formulation contains
approximately 6–15 g/L of zinc metal (provided as zinc oxide powder or by dissolving zinc anodes)
and 100–150 g/L of sodium hydroxide 16 17 . In practice, a common recipe is: ZnO ~10–15 g/L,
NaOH ~120–140 g/L. For example, one proprietary bath specifies 8–11 g/L Zn and 110–130 g/L
NaOH for rack plating 18 . Another source notes the optimum zinc content for thickness uniformity
is around 11–13 g/L 19 . Sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃) will naturally accumulate (from CO₂ absorption
and NaOH oxidation); maintaining carbonate below ~80 g/L is recommended 16 . (New baths often
start with ~10 g/L Na₂CO₃ added to promote conductivity 20 , and further carbonate is removed
periodically by chilling the solution to precipitate it out.)

Rationale: The NaOH provides high alkalinity (pH ~14) to solubilize zinc (forming zincate ions) and to give
good solution conductivity 21 . Too low caustic causes zinc to precipitate, whereas too high (above ~150 g/L)
can reduce plating efficiency or cause more porosity in the deposit 22 . The Zn metal content affects plating
speed and efficiency: if zinc is too low, deposition slows and hydrogen gassing increases, while if too high
(above ~15 g/L Zn) the coating thickness actually can decline due to polarizations 19 23 . Staying in the
mid-range (~10 g/L Zn) maximizes cathode efficiency and gives a fine-grained deposit 24 .

For makeup of a 10-gal (38 L) bath: if you target ~12 g/L ZnO and 130 g/L NaOH, that equates to ~450 g
ZnO and ~5 kg NaOH. Dissolve NaOH in water first (it will generate heat, add slowly), then introduce ZnO
and stir/heated until dissolved (it may not fully dissolve until some zinc plating has occurred to facilitate
zincate formation). The zinc anodes will dissolve into the caustic over time as well, helping to reach and
maintain the zinc level 3 . Always analyze and adjust the bath periodically – professional platers titrate for
NaOH and Zn to keep within range 21 . And maintain trace additives if used: many commercial baths
include proprietary brighteners and carriers that greatly improve the brightness and uniformity of the zinc
deposit 25 26 . (If you want OEM-like appearance, consider using a suitable brightener package for

3
alkaline zinc – otherwise the coating may come out matte gray. Vendors like Caswell or plating chemical
suppliers offer additive systems.)

• Hydrochloric Acid Pickle: For steel activation before zinc plating, dilute HCl is used. Industry
practice is about 15% HCl by volume (which is roughly 15–18% actual HCl content) 27 .
Concentrated muriatic acid from suppliers is typically ~31–37% HCl; you would dilute this roughly 1:1
with water to get ~15–18%. This concentration “gets the job done” of dissolving rust and oxide
quickly, yet isn’t so strong that it fumes excessively or deeply attacks the steel base metal 28 29 . In
fact, research and industry experience show ~15–20% is an optimal range balancing pickling speed
and safety 30 . Stronger acid (>20% HCl) can aggressively etch the steel and liberate copious fumes
(corroding your shop and harming personnel) 31 32 . We recommend preparing only as much pickle
solution as needed and consider adding an acid inhibitor (commercial HCl inhibitors often contain
organic additives like urea or thiourea that allow the acid to eat rust but greatly slow attack on bare
steel). This will give you a cleaner surface without pitting. Common procedure: dip the part in ~15%
HCl at room temp for 30 seconds up to a few minutes (brushing if heavy rust remains) until the steel
surface is uniformly water-wet and bright. Then rinse very well. (If flash rusting is a problem after
rinse, you can dip in a 0.5% NaOH solution for a few seconds to neutralize acid, then rinse again.)

• Yellow Chromate Conversion Bath: A proven hexavalent chromate solution for zinc is the Cronak
process, or similar formulations, which are classic for yellow chromating. The Cronak bath contains
about 180 g/L sodium dichromate (Na₂Cr₂O₇·2H₂O) plus ~6 mL/L concentrated H₂SO₄ (sulfuric
acid) 33 . In practical terms, you can dissolve ~180–200 g of sodium dichromate per liter of water
and then carefully add 6 mL of conc. sulfuric per liter. (Always add acid to water, with stirring, to
avoid splashes.) This produces an orange-yellow solution. Operating this bath at room temperature,
a brief dip of 5–30 seconds is sufficient to form a robust yellow passivate layer on zinc 14 . The
exact immersion time (and slight variations in concentration) will determine the thickness and color:
shorter or lower concentration gives a lighter yellow (or iridescent clear-yellow) film, whereas longer
or higher concentration can yield a darker gold/olive drab film. Thicker (darker) chromate coatings
impart greater corrosion resistance (the color progression from clear → yellow → olive drab → black
generally corresponds to increasing protection) 7 . A typical yellow chromate on ~8 µm zinc plating
can withstand ~96+ hours to white rust; a thicker ~25 µm zinc with a good chromate can reach
hundreds of hours in salt spray tests.

After dipping in the chromate, rinse gently in water and let the parts air-dry (do not wipe the chromate
film). The film will initially be soft and gelatinous; it hardens into a hydrophobic protective layer as it dries
over 24 hours 13 . You can speed up drying by warm air at ~50–60 °C, but avoid high heat (>100 °C) which
can degrade the coating 34 . Note: Hexavalent chromate solutions are toxic and regulated – be sure to have
proper disposal or neutralization (for example, adding a reducing agent like sodium metabisulfite to spent
chromate to reduce Cr⁶⁺ to Cr³⁺ before disposal, per environmental guidelines).

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4. Recommended Plating Current and Voltage Settings
In electroplating, current density (amperage per unit area of the workpiece) is the critical parameter, while
voltage will adjust based on bath resistance, anode spacing, etc. With your 0–25 A supply, you have plenty
of capability for most parts in a 10 gal tank. Here are guidelines:

• Current Density: For alkaline zinc plating, a typical cathode current density is 0.5–3 A/dm² (≈5–
30 A/ft²) for rack-plated parts 35 36 . Higher in that range gives faster plating, but risk of burning or
dull deposits rises if too high, especially at edges. A moderate target is ~1.5–2.0 A/dm² (14–19 A/ft²)
for rack plating, which usually yields good brightness and efficiency 35 . If you are using the basket
for small parts (barrel plating mode), use the lower end of the range: ~0.3–1.0 A/dm² (3–10 A/ft²),
because parts in a basket have less uniform contact and tend to burn if the current is too high 35 .
In practice, when plating many small fasteners at once, you might start around 0.5 A/dm² and see if
the plating covers evenly; you can gradually increase it if the parts are plating uniformly. Always
observe the parts: a dull gray or black smut at high-current areas means you’re exceeding the ideal
current density (back off the amperage or improve agitation).

• Total Current Setting: Once you estimate the surface area of your part(s), you can calculate the
appropriate total amps. Example: A steel bracket of 100 cm² area (~0.1 dm²) plated at 2 A/dm² would
require ~0.2 A. Conversely, a batch of small parts totaling 2000 cm² (200 dm²) at 0.5 A/dm² would
need ~100 A (which is beyond your supply). In practice, with a 25 A max supply, you can plate around
12–15 dm² of area at ~1.5–2 A/dm², or 25–50 dm² at ~0.5 A/dm². If you have very large parts, you
may need to plate them one at a time or in sections to stay within the available current. It’s also
acceptable to plate at lower current for longer time to achieve thickness if your supply can’t
deliver the theoretical optimum – the coatings will just take longer.

• Voltage: The voltage will self-adjust based on the bath chemistry and current. Expect the plating cell
to require around 3–8 V in a well-maintained alkaline bath for rack plating 10 . Higher voltages
(maybe 8–15 V) might be seen in barrel plating configuration due to the resistance of the barrel/
basket and more distance between anodes and parts 37 . With your setup, start in constant-current
mode at the desired amperage; the voltage will rise to whatever is needed. If you see the voltage
hitting the 8–10 V range or higher at moderate current, it could indicate low bath conductivity (check
if NaOH is in range) or poor anode placement/connection. In a 10 gal tank with proper
concentrations, usually ~5 V is enough to drive 2 A/dm² 38 . Keep an eye on the voltage because a
sudden drop could mean a part fell off the rack (causing a short) or a sudden spike might mean loss
of contact.

• Plating Time and Thickness: Your goal of ~25 µm thick zinc is a relatively heavy coating (which is
great for corrosion resistance). To achieve this, you’ll need sufficient plating time. Roughly, at 1 A/
dm² current density, zinc deposits at about 17 µm per hour (assuming ~85% current efficiency) 39 .
Higher current can deposit faster: e.g. at 2 A/dm² you might get ~34 µm/hour, at 3 A/dm² up to
~50 µm/hour if efficiency holds. (Alkaline baths have ~60–90% cathode efficiency depending on
conditions 40 — agitation and proper zinc concentration help keep it on the high end). For example,
one source notes 1 µm thickness in ~3.5 minutes at 1 A/dm² 39 , which corresponds to ~17 µm/
hour. Using that: to get 25 µm, it takes ~1.5 hours at 2 A/dm², or ~45 minutes at 4 A/dm² (if you could
go that high). In practice, you might plate for about 1 to 2 hours at a moderate current density to
build ~20–25 µm. It’s wise to periodically lift out a test piece and measure thickness or weight gain to

5
 verify your plating rate, since real-world efficiencies vary. Also, if you see diminishing returns over
time (plating slowing), it could be due to depletion of zinc or polarization – increasing agitation or
adding zinc brightener can help in such cases.

In summary, set your power supply to constant-current mode targeting the appropriate current density
for the part(s) you are plating. As a rule of thumb, start at ~15–20 A/ft² (rack) or ~5 A/ft² (barrel) and adjust
as needed for coverage and appearance 35 . Monitor the voltage (expect a few volts, well within your 40 V
capacity). With good filtration, agitation, and temperature control, you should be able to push toward the
higher end of the current range for faster deposition when needed, while still obtaining a bright, uniform
zinc coating.

Sources:

• Schlesinger, M. & Paunovic, M. Modern Electroplating, 5th ed. – Zinc Plating chapter (operating
parameters for alkaline Zn plating)
• Electroplating Engineering Handbook, 4th ed. (Durney, 1984) – Zinc and Zinc Alloy Plating section 16

11

• Product Data – MAR ZINC PRO ALK 100 alkaline Zn plating system (Techsheet) 41 9
• Microminus Plating Guide – Alkaline Zinc process parameters 42 43
• Finishing.com Library – Chromate conversion coating Q&A (hexavalent formulas and safety) 44 45

• Wikipedia – Chromate conversion coating (Cronak bath composition and usage) 33 7

• Finishing & Coating Journal – Influence of plating variables on zinc quality 46 40
• Finishing.com Forum – HCl pickling best practices (concentration rationale) 27 30

1 4 10 36 Pating Rectifiers,Ampere Hour Meter,Electroplating Plant Manufacturer,Ultrasonic

42 43

Cleaner,Temperature Controller,pH meter,Conductivity Meter,Chemical Dosing System

http://www.microminus.com/alkaline-zinc-plating-process.html

2 Zinc Plating - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemical-engineering/zinc-plating

3 9 18 20 21 25 26 35 37 41 Zinc Chemical Supplier - Alkaline Zinc - MAR Zins Pro ALK 100 - Canada,
US, Europe, Asia
https://www.martechholdings.com/zinc-alk100.html

5 6 11 16 17 19 22 23 24 38 39 40 46 Influence of Selected Parameters of Zinc Plating on Surface

Quality and Layer Thickness
https://finishingandcoating.com/index.php/plating/2264-influence-of-selected-parameters-of-zinc-plating-on-surface-quality-and-
layer-thickness

7 13 14 33 Chromate conversion coating - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromate_conversion_coating

8 12 27 28 29 30 31 32 Why do we use 15-18% HCl for pickling: FAQs + Q&A Forum

https://www.finishing.com/392/77.shtml

15 Chromate Conversion Coatings | Products Finishing

https://www.pfonline.com/articles/chromate-conversion-coatings

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34 Temperature limits of yellow chromate passivation - Finishing.com
https://www.finishing.com/43/11.shtml

44 45 Chemical formula for chromating solutions: FAQs + Q&A Forum

https://www.finishing.com/71/62.shtml