Electroplating solution recovery system

• US 4,595,474 A
• Filed: 11/14/1983
• Issued: 06/17/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Greco Bros Incorporated Greco Lane Providence RI 02909 A Corporation
• Original Assignee: Greco Bros Incorporated
• Inventors: Greco, Ralph C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Valentine, Donald R.
• Application Number:
  US06/551,556
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 137/430, 137/433, 137/571, 137/123, 210/114, 210/117, 210/136, 210/320, 210/519, 204/DIG. 13, 204/232-241, 204/275
• US Class Current: 204/232
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 17/20 Horizontal barrels
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 204/13 Purification and treatment of electroplating baths and plating wastes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2713 Siphons
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86187 Plural tanks or compartments connected for serial flow

Abstract

An electroplating solution recovery system is disclosed which includes an electroplating tank containing an electroplating solution and one or more rinse tanks containing rinse solutions. A tubular interconnection extends between a first of the rinse tanks and the electroplating tank and is operative for transferring rinse solution from the first rinse tank to the electroplating tank by a siphoning process when the level in the plating tank is significantly lower than the level in the rinse tank. Additional tubular interconnections extend between the other rinse tanks for interconnecting them in series relation so that the solution in the tanks is automatically replenished as it is consumed, the solution level in the last tank in the series, however, being replenished from a continuous water supply. Maximum recovery of plating solution is assured by the system, and the pollution levels in the overflow effluent from the last rinse tank are minimized.

Claims

1. An electroplating solution recovery system comprising:

(a) an electroplating tank containing an electroplating solution;

(b) a plurality of rinse tanks containing rinse solutions, said rinse tanks being disposed at substantially the same vertical height as said plating tank and defining a sequential series of adjacent rinse tanks, the first rinse tank in said series being adjacent said plating tank;

(c) a plurality of tubular interconnections interconnecting sequential rinse tanks in said series to each other and also interconnecting the first rinse tank in said series to said plating tank, opposite ends of said interconnections being disposed in the solutions in the respective tanks thereby interconnected so that as plating solution is dissipated from the electroplating tank it is replenished with rinse solution from the first rinse tank, and as the rinse solutions are dissipated from the rinse tanks, except the last rinse tank in the series, they are replenished with rinse solutions from the respective next sequential rinse tanks in the series;

(d) means for supplying water to the last rinse tank in said series to replenish the level of rinse solution therein, said water being supplied at a rate which is greater than the rate of flow of rinse solution from said last tank to the next to the last tank in said series;

(e) overflow means in said last tank for withdrawing rinse solution therefrom and for removing said withdrawn rinse solution from said system, said overflow means defining the maximum solution level in said last tank and cooperating with said tubular interconnections for defining the solution levels in the rinse tanks other than said last tank and also the solution level in the plating tank.