Electroless Plating Lead and Lead-Tin on Copper Using an Eco-Friendly Plating Bath

Abstract

Copper serpentines used in gas heaters are currently coated with lead-tin alloy using hot-dip technology where copper is immersed in molten lead (98%)-Tin at about 400˚C. The major drawback of this technique is the pollution resulted from lead vapors which cause much harm to the labors in the unit. The present work investigates an eco-friendly plating technique to replace the currently used technology. Electroless plating of copper samples with lead or Lead (98%)-Tin alloy is carried out from a plating bath contained lead salt, tin salt, reducing agent and stabilizing agent. The parameters affecting the coating quality such as the plating time, temperature and bath composition were optimized. The chemical analysis and coating morphology of the formed coatings are examined by XRD, SEM and EDS to reach the best bath composition as well as the best conditions to coat copper with lead or lead-tin electrolessly. The electrochemical ...