JP4888468B2 - How to recycle dummy media - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for recycling dummy media used in barrel plating.

  Generally, in barrel plating methods, the conductive dummy media is barreled together with the object to be plated for the purpose of flowing current evenly over the object to be plated to improve plating efficiency and reduce plating thickness variation. (See, for example, Patent Document 1).

  However, when this dummy medium is repeatedly used, a plating layer is formed on the surface of the dummy medium, and the outer diameter and specific gravity of the optimized dummy medium may change. In such a case, the tendency to separate from the object to be plated in the barrel increases, and problems such as a decrease in plating efficiency and an increase in plating layer variation occur.

For this reason, when the outer diameter and specific gravity of the dummy media change beyond the allowable range, they are conventionally discarded. The dummy media is not necessarily inexpensive, and a method for efficiently reproducing the dummy media has been demanded.
JP 61-15999 A

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to provide a dummy media recycling method capable of efficiently reproducing dummy media.

In order to achieve the above object, a dummy media recycling method according to the present invention includes:
Preparing a barrel container;
Placing an anode in the barrel vessel;
Throwing used dummy media into the barrel container;
Immersing the anode and the dummy media in the barrel container in an electrolyte;
Elution of the plating layer formed on the surface of the dummy medium into the electrolyte solution.

  By immersing the anode and the dummy media in the barrel container in the electrolytic solution, the plating layer formed on the surface of the dummy media can be electrochemically eluted in the electrolytic solution. That is, in the method of the present invention, the plating layer can be eluted into the electrolytic solution in a large amount quickly compared to a method of dissolving the plating layer using, for example, an acid.

  Further, in the method using acid or the like, the acidic treatment liquid containing metal ions becomes waste, but in the method of the present invention, the plating component returns to the cathode through the electrolytic solution, so that the disposal treatment is easy. Therefore, in the method of the present invention, it becomes possible to efficiently reproduce dummy media.

  Preferably, an elution promoting medium is placed in the barrel container together with the dummy medium. By placing the elution promoting medium in the barrel container, the plating layer formed on the surface of the dummy medium can be more efficiently eluted into the electrolytic solution.

  The material and size of the elution promoting medium are not particularly limited. For example, by changing the material of the dummy medium, the medium can be selected using a magnetic force after being taken out from the barrel container. Alternatively, by changing the size and shape of the elution-promoting media relative to the dummy media, the plating layer of the dummy media can be more efficiently eluted and sorted after being removed from the barrel container. Will also be easier.

  Preferably, a positive voltage is applied to the anode while the barrel container is rotated inside a plating solution tank in which an electrolytic solution is stored, and a plating layer formed on the surface of the dummy medium is eluted into the electrolytic solution. . By using such a method, the plating layer is efficiently eluted from the surface of the dummy medium into the electrolytic solution, and a large amount of dummy media can be reproduced at one time.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on embodiments shown in the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a barrel plating method,
2A is a side view showing an example of an electronic component plated by the plating method shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is an example of a dummy medium housed together with the electronic component in the barrel container shown in FIG. Side view,
3A is a cross-sectional view of the dummy media before recycling, FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the dummy media after recycling,
FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a dummy media recycling method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  First, based on FIG. 1, the barrel plating apparatus 2 used for the barrel plating method is demonstrated. The barrel plating apparatus 2 has a structure in which a barrel container 6 and an anode electrode (anode) 20 are disposed in a plating bath 4 in which a plating solution 14 is stored. The barrel container 6 is formed in, for example, a polygonal (for example, hexagonal or octagonal) cylindrical shape having a rotation shaft 16 at the center, and is disposed sideways in the plating bath 4.

  A rotating shaft 16 of the barrel container 6 is rotatably supported through the plating bath 4. The rotating shaft 16 is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown) so as to be disposed horizontally in the plating bath 2. The barrel container 6 is configured to rotate in the plating solution 14.

  In such a barrel container 6, a cathode electrode 12 (for example, a bar made of stainless steel (SUS) or copper (Cu)) is inserted as a cathode, and a plurality of electronic components 8 which are plating objects. Are accommodated together with a large number of dummy media 10. Here, as shown in FIG. 2A, when nickel (Ni) is plated on the terminal electrode 9 of the electronic component 8, the dummy medium 10 shown in FIG. Is used. Further, as the anode electrode 20, a material in which a plating film supply source 22 made of nickel spheres similar to the dummy media 10 is accommodated in a mesh-like metal basket, for example, a basket 24 made of titanium (Ti) is used.

  In such a barrel plating method using the barrel plating apparatus 2, when the barrel container 6 is rotated around the rotation shaft 16, a plurality of electronic components 8 accommodated in the barrel container 6 are put together with a number of dummy media 10 and a plating solution. 14 is stirred. A positive voltage is applied from the power source 30 to the anode electrode 20, a negative voltage is applied to the cathode electrode 12, and a current flows between the anode electrode 20 and the cathode electrode 12. As a result, the plurality of electronic components 8 are conducted to the cathode electrode 12 through the large number of dummy media 10.

  Therefore, nickel ions dissolved in the plating solution 14 from the nickel spheres of the plating film supply source 22 accommodated in the basket 24 of the anode electrode 20 are subjected to a reducing action on the surface of each electronic component 8. A nickel (Ni) film is formed on the surface of the terminal electrode 9 with a uniform thickness.

  The nickel (Ni) plating process for the terminal electrodes 9 of the plurality of electronic components 8 using the barrel plating apparatus 2 is repeated by replacing the electronic components 8 in the barrel container 6. In this repeated operation, as shown in FIG. 3A, nickel (Ni), which is a metal for plating, is deposited on the surface of a large number of dummy media 10 in the barrel container 6 to form a plating layer 9a. The thickness t0 is gradually enlarged. When the thickness t0 of the plating layer 9a is enlarged, the outer diameter D0 and specific gravity of the dummy medium 10 that has been optimized change, which may adversely affect the plating process.

  In this embodiment, the recycling process described below is performed without discarding a large number of dummy media 10 in which the thickness t0 of the plating layer 9a is enlarged by repetitive work. Next, a dummy media recycling method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the recycling apparatus 2a which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention has the electrolytic vessel 4a. The electrolytic solution 4a is stored in the electrolytic cell 4a. The electrolytic solution 14a shown in FIG. 4 may be the same component as the plating solution 14 shown in FIG. 1, but may be different. As the electrolytic solution, for example, dilute nitric acid, dilute sulfuric acid, dilute alkali (NaOH), or diluted plating solution can be used.

  The recycling barrel container 6a and the cathode electrode 12a are immersed in the electrolytic solution 14a of the electrolytic cell 4a. The cathode electrode 12a is connected to the negative voltage terminal of the power supply 30a. As in the case of the anode electrode 20 shown in FIG. 1, the cathode electrode 12a may be one in which the plating film supply source 22a is accommodated in a mesh-like metal basket, for example, a basket 24a made of titanium (Ti). Alternatively, the cathode electrode 12a may have a plate shape, similar to the cathode electrode 12 shown in FIG.

  A large number of dummy media 10 on which the used plating film 9a shown in FIG. 3 (A) is formed are accommodated in the recycling barrel container 6a. In such a barrel container 6, an anode electrode 20 a is accommodated so as to be in contact with the dummy medium 10. The anode electrode 20a is connected to the positive terminal of the power source 30a.

  The anode electrode 20a is formed of, for example, a bar made of stainless steel (SUS) or copper (Cu), like the cathode electrode 12 shown in FIG. However, when the plating film supply source 22a is used inside the cathode electrode 12a, the anode electrode 20a is preferably made of the same material as the plating film supply source 22a. This is because the anode electrode 20a is eluted into the electrolytic solution 14a and deposited on the surface of the plating film supply source 22a, like the plating film 9a of the dummy medium 10.

  The rotating shaft 16a of the recycling barrel container 6a has a configuration similar to that of the rotating shaft 16 shown in FIG. 1, and the rotating shaft 16a is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown) to be disposed sideways in the electrolytic cell 2a. The barrel container 6a is configured to rotate in the electrolyte solution 14a. Although the rotational speed of the barrel container 6a is not specifically limited, Preferably it is 3-25.

  In such a recycling method using the recycling apparatus 2a, when the barrel container 6a is rotated around the rotating shaft 16a, the dummy media 10 accommodated in the barrel container 6a is in contact with the anode electrode 20a while the electrolyte solution 14a Stir in. Then, a positive voltage is applied from the power source 30a to the anode electrode 20a, a negative voltage is applied to the cathode electrode 12a, and a current flows between the anode electrode 20a and the cathode electrode 12a. As a result, a large number of dummy media 10 are conducted to the anode electrode 20a.

  Therefore, the plating film 9a formed on the surface of the dummy medium 10 connected to the anode electrode 20a is eluted into the electrolytic solution 14a, and the component of the plating film 14a dissolved in the electrolytic solution is the plating film supply source 22a. Precipitates on the surface. When the plating film 9a formed on the surface of the dummy medium 10 is a nickel film, a nickel component is deposited on the surface of the plating film supply source 22a which is a nickel sphere.

  As shown in FIG. 3 (B), by controlling the conditions for removing all of the plating film 9a formed on the surface of the dummy medium 10 shown in FIG. 3 (A), for example, the recycling process time shown in FIG. In addition, all of the plating film 9a is removed, and the dummy medium 10 having the optimized outer diameter D0 and specific gravity can be obtained. These dummy media 10 can be reused as dummy media 10 for barrel plating of the electronic component 8 shown in FIG. That is, the dummy media 10 can be recycled.

  When the plating film 9a formed on the surface of the dummy medium 10 is the same metal or alloy as the plating film supply source 22a, the plating film supply source 22a is also plated in the barrel plating apparatus 2 shown in FIG. It can be reused as the film supply source 22.

  However, if the dummy media 10 is used not only for nickel plating but also for plating other types of metals such as tin plating, the plating film 9a formed on the surface of the dummy media 10 is made of a different metal. It is a composite film. When the dummy medium 10 on which the plating film 9a composed of such a composite film is formed is recycled by the recycling apparatus 2a shown in FIG. 4, the cathode electrode 12a is a rod-like or plate-like metal body. Preferably there is. The metal component of the plating film 9a composed of the composite film is deposited on the cathode electrode 12a. In this case, the cathode electrode 12a can be reused as the cathode electrode 12 accommodated in the barrel vessel 6 in the barrel plating apparatus 2 shown in FIG. In this case, the electrolytic solution 14 is not used as the plating solution 14 because the composite film component is included.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the barrel container 6a is rotated while the anode electrode 20a and the dummy medium 10 in the barrel container 6a are immersed in the electrolytic solution 14a. For this reason, it becomes possible to elute the plating layer 9a formed on the surface of the dummy medium 10 shown in FIG. 3A to the electrolytic solution 14a shown in FIG. That is, in the method of the present embodiment, the plating layer 9a can be eluted into the electrolytic solution 14a in a large amount at once as compared with a method of dissolving the plating layer 9a using, for example, an acid.

  In addition, in the method using acid or the like, the acidic treatment liquid containing metal ions becomes waste, but in the method of this embodiment, the plating component returns to the cathode electrode 12a through the electrolytic solution 14a, so that the disposal treatment is easy. It is. Therefore, in the method of this embodiment, it becomes possible to efficiently reproduce the dummy medium 10.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be variously modified within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the barrel container 6a for recycling shown in FIG. 4, the elution promoting medium not shown may be put together with the used dummy medium 10. By putting the elution promoting medium in the barrel container 6a, the plating layer 9a formed on the surface of the dummy medium 10 can be more efficiently eluted into the electrolytic solution 14a.

  The material and size of the elution promoting medium are not particularly limited. For example, by changing the material for the elution promoting medium from that of the dummy medium, the medium can be selected using a magnetic force after being taken out from the barrel container. Alternatively, by changing the size and shape of the elution promoting medium relative to the dummy medium, the plating layer 9a of the dummy medium 10 can be more efficiently eluted, and after being removed from the barrel container 6a. Sorting with is also easier.

  In the above-described embodiment, nickel spheres are used as the dummy media 10, but nickel (Ni) or the like may be plated on the surface of an iron-based alloy sphere or ceramic sphere. For example, the dummy media 10 may be one in which a ceramic sphere exhibiting non-eluting properties with respect to the plating solution 14 is used as a core, and the surface thereof is subjected to nickel (Ni) plating.

  Furthermore, the barrel container 6a in the recycling apparatus 2a shown in FIG. 4 is not limited to the one shown in FIG. 4, but the barrel container 6a rotates around the vertical axis, or the barrel container 6a rotates around the tilt axis. It may be of a form.

Hereinafter, although this invention is demonstrated based on a more detailed Example, this invention is not limited to these Examples.
Example 1

  A used dummy medium 10 shown in FIG. 3A was prepared. The outer diameter D0 of the medium 10 was 5 mm, and a plating layer 9a having a thickness t0 of 50 μm was formed on the surface. After preparing about 3 kg of these dummy media 10 and measuring the number and weight accurately, they are housed in the barrel container 6a shown in FIG. 4, and while the barrel container 6a is rotated, the anode electrode 20a and the cathode electrode 12a Between them, a current of 20 A was passed to perform a recycling process.

  The internal volume of the barrel container 6a was 10 liters, and the rotational speed of the barrel container 6a was 10. A titanium metal bar was used as the anode electrode 20a, and a copper metal bar was used as the cathode electrode 12a. As the electrolytic solution 14a, the same one as the plating solution 14 used for nickel plating was used.

After 100 minutes, the recycled dummy media 10 was taken out, and the total weight of the dummy media 10 was measured. By subtracting the total weight of the dummy media 10 after the recycling process from the total weight of the dummy media 10 before the recycling process, it is expected that the plating layer 9a formed on the surface of almost all the dummy media 10 could be removed. did it. That is, since the expected weight of the total amount of the dummy media 10 on which the plating layer 9a is not formed can be calculated, if the measured total weight of the dummy media 10 after the recycling process is close to the expected weight, almost all the dummy media 10 It can be said that the plating layer 9a formed on the surface of the film was removed.
Example 2

The dummy media 10 was recycled in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the barrel container 6a was not rotated. In the recycling process for 100 minutes, the removal rate of the plating layer of 20% of Example 1 was judged from the measurement of the total weight.
Example 3

The dummy medium 10 was recycled in the same manner as in Example 1 except that 50% by volume of the dissolution promoting medium was added to the dummy medium together with the dummy medium 10 in the barrel container 6a. In the recycling process for 80 minutes, the removal rate of the plating layer was the same as that of Example 1 as judged from the measurement of the total weight. The dissolution-promoting medium was a sphere having a zirconia material and an outer diameter of 15 mm.
Example 4

  The dummy medium 10 was recycled in the same manner as in Example 3 except that 100% by volume of the dissolution promoting medium was added to the dummy medium together with the dummy medium 10 in the barrel container 6a. With a recycling process of 70 minutes, the removal rate of the plating layer was the same as that of Example 1 as judged from the measurement of the total weight.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a barrel plating method. 2A is a side view showing an example of an electronic component plated by the plating method shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is an example of a dummy medium housed together with the electronic component in the barrel container shown in FIG. FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of the dummy medium before recycling, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the dummy medium after recycling. FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a dummy media recycling method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

2a ... Recycling device 4a ... Electrolysis tank 6a ... Barrel container 9a ... Plating layer 10 ... Dummy media 12a ... Cathode electrode 14a ... Electrolyte solution 20a ... Anode electrode 30a ... Power supply

Claims (2)

Preparing a barrel container;
Placing an anode in the barrel vessel;
Throwing used dummy media into the barrel container;
Immersing the anode and the dummy media in the barrel container in an electrolyte;
Elution of the plating layer formed on the surface of the dummy media into the electrolyte solution, and a method for recycling the dummy media ,
In the barrel container, along with the dummy media, put elution promotion media,
The method of recycling a dummy medium, wherein the elution promoting medium is sorted together with the dummy medium together with the dummy medium after being taken out of the barrel container . While rotating within the plating solution tank the barrel container electrolytic solution is stored, a positive voltage is applied to the anode, the claim of the plated layer formed on the surface of the dummy media eluting in the electrolyte 1 Recycling method of dummy media described in 1 .

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