Chemical & Plating Solutions
Chrome reduction and cyanide destruction pH/ORP control, high-purity plating bath tank material, and plating-line filtration with precious metal recovery — for metal-finishing and electroplating operations.
Match the Setpoint and Material to the Chemistry, Not the Catalog
Chrome Reduction & Cyanide Destruction pH/ORP Control
Hexavalent chromium reduction runs at pH 2.0–2.5 with an ORP setpoint near -300mV; cyanide destruction runs at pH 11.5 with ORP at +450mV in its first stage — real, vendor-published pretreatment setpoints for metal-finishing and electroplating wastewater, with the gas-release hazards most specs miss.
Plating Bath Tank Material Selection
Natural polypropylene with zero pigments and zero fibers is specified for nickel sulfamate and other high-purity plating baths — eliminating the leachables that would otherwise contaminate the plating chemistry.
Plating Line Filtration & Precious Metal Recovery
MF acid/alkaline filter systems handle precious metal plating, high chloride, sulfuric, and alkaline cyanide solutions — plus an MR-SR Metal Recovery Chamber that recovers up to 3 troy oz of precious metal per pound of ion exchange resin from rinse and drag-out tanks.
Plating solution pump for bath transfer and waste treatment
Plating shops move acids, caustics and metal-bearing rinses between baths, holding tanks and waste treatment. A polypropylene air-operated diaphragm pump suits that work: no seal, no motor at the tank, self-priming from a tank top, and it can be stalled against a closed valve. The FTI Air FT30P covers the high-volume end at up to 300 gpm.
FTI Air rates its glass-filled polypropylene housing excellent for copper, nickel, zinc, tin and most other plating solutions, but only fair for chrome baths and not recommended for chromic acid — those go to PVDF. Bath chemistry and temperature decide the elastomer (housing range 32–158°F); see the AODD chemical compatibility chart. Size the duty with the diaphragm pump sizing calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the real setpoints for chrome reduction and cyanide destruction on a plating line?
Hexavalent chromium reduction is controlled at pH 2.0–2.5 with an ORP setpoint near -300mV (-400mV max) and a minimum 15-minute detention time, using sulfur dioxide, sodium sulfite, or sodium metabisulfite as the reducing agent. Cyanide destruction runs its first stage at pH 11.5 with ORP held at +450mV to convert cyanide to cyanate, then a second neutralization stage. Both processes carry a real gas-release hazard if setpoints are pushed past what the process needs.
What tank material is used for nickel sulfamate and other high-purity plating baths?
Natural polypropylene with zero pigments and zero fibers — this eliminates the leachables that would otherwise contaminate high-purity plating chemistry, and supports the tight lead times (typically 4-6 weeks) that plating facility buildouts and commissioning schedules require.
Can precious metals be recovered from plating rinse water?
Yes — an MR-SR Metal Recovery Chamber using ion exchange resin recovers up to 3 troy oz of precious metal per pound of resin from rinse water and drag-out tanks, while also improving rinse-water purity for reuse.
What information does LibertyCES need to spec chemical/plating equipment?
The specific plating chemistry (chrome, cyanide, nickel sulfamate, or other bath type), concentration, flow rate, temperature, and whether the application is pretreatment (reduction/destruction), storage/containment, or filtration/recovery — process data first, part number second.
Specifying equipment for a plating line?
Send LibertyCES the bath chemistry, flow, and whether you need pretreatment, tank/containment, or filtration — we'll confirm the setpoints and material before you spec a model.
Ready to buy or need a fast answer? Call, text, or email James directly — (559) 395-5500 · james@libertyces.com.