Anode

Base Metal

• Pure Copper (1” x 6”)
• Pure Nickel (1” x 6”)
• Insoluble Stainless Steel (1” x 6”)

There are two types of anodes: soluble and insoluble.

Soluble anodes are consumed during the plating process, replenishing metal that’s plated out of the solution. They prolong the life of the solution, save money, and are more environmental friendly by reducing the amount of spent solution you need to dispose of.

Insoluble anodes must be impervious to the solution, so they do not dissolve, and contaminate the plating solution.

The chart below lists the compatible anodes with the different solutions we manufacture:

Download Anode Usage Chart

Soluble anodes are only used in single metal plating systems, such as 24K Gold, Pure Silver, and Pure Nickel. Colored gold plating solutions, such as 14K Gold and Pink Gold, cannot be used with a soluble anode because metals plated out of the system will be replaced at a different rate by a soluble anode, altering or contaminating the solution.

The second component is size. The surface area of the anode must exceed that of the piece(s) being plated by at least 30%. Using too small an anode will decrease the efficiency of the plating bath, causing the need to use too high a voltage or a prolonged plating cycle; both of which will negatively affect the quality of the plating deposit. This will also shorten the effective life of the solution, reducing the number of piece(s) plated from each bottle.

Platinized titanium anodes should be replaced when they start showing signs of flaking or chipping away of the platinum coating or a discoloration appears. Care should also be taken to replace soluble anodes when they become too small.